


Dreaming in Silver and Gold

by TomBakersScarf



Category: Shall We Date?: Wizardess Heart+
Genre: Angels, Archangels, Demons, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Heaven, Hell, Oral, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:49:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 176,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8157863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomBakersScarf/pseuds/TomBakersScarf
Summary: Angel and Demon AU. When Liz is dying, she makes a deal with a demon to save her life. As she grows up she manages to push the bargain from her mind. When she enters the Academy she's suddenly forced to face the deal she made.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My stories feature Liz Hart. She started out as an extension of the game MC but she has slowly evolved into her own character. You can find me on tumblr at moonstoneandjasmine.tumblr.com :)

The moonlight cast shadows across the wood floor and the trees moving outside the windows made the darkness shift and dance. Liz watched them from her spot against the wall. She didn’t know how long she had sat there in her own sick. The thick scent clung to her like a blanket and added to her discomfort.

Her parents had passed days ago and she could feel the disease that had taken them ravish her body. She knew it would only be a matter of time before death claimed her.

When she realized she was sick, she had prayed to every deity she could think of to save her. She had screamed and cried for anyone to take away her pain but either no one in the village heard her or they were smart enough not to enter the house. 

That had been days ago and now she was blessed with a pleasant calm. She would not cry anymore and she would welcome death with open arms. Her breathing was shallow and she closed her eyes to rest. Perhaps she would go peacefully in her sleep.

A loud crack echoed through the room and her eyes flew open at the sound. The other side of the room opposite of her was now cloaked in a thick darkness. The shadows seemed to migrate towards the area and they moved as if they were waiting on something.

“You’re fading fast little human.”

Liz couldn’t even jump in surprise at the unexpected voice. She rested her head back against the wall and hoped this hallucination would go away soon. She just wanted to die in peace.

Suddenly the shadows moved towards her and stretched like a column in front of her. A pale hand slid from its depths and long ebony claws glinted as the hand grasped her jaw. The talons were so close to her throat and fear finally gripped her. This wasn’t a dream.

“I heard your cries for help, would you like to make a deal?” The voice purred.

Every instinct in her body was telling her to run, but there was no way she could, not when she was this feeble.

“What, no answer? I would think anyone on death’s door would be desperate for a way out of it.”  
She tried to pull away, but the hand held her firmly.

“So, what will it be? Life or Death? We can discuss the terms at a later date.”

She should say no and just join her parents in the afterlife. There were always stories about the dark creatures that lurked in the shadows and what they did to humans. This would not end well, but a small part of her wanted to live. She had seen so little of this world and she had so many things she wanted to accomplish. She knew she would regret this someday, but she wouldn’t worry about that now.

Liz licked her lips as she tried to clear her dry throat, “I choose life.” She could’ve sworn she saw a fanged smile flash in the darkness.

“Wise choice.” The hand released her jaw and rested on top of her head. Darkness leaked from every inch of the room now and crept towards her. She felt her body growing stronger by the second and she was finally able to take a deep breath. Liz’s eyelids grew heavy and soon she fell into a deep, much needed, sleep.

Right before Liz lost consciousness, she thought that she heard the beat of wings.


	2. Chapter 1

Liz ran down the path towards the academy. The gravel under her boots crunched and she tightened the strap of her bag to keep it from slipping off her shoulder.

She had overslept and was already hoping the day would go by quickly so she could do her homework and go to bed.

Sleep was always a chore for her. She had nightmares every night and it was always the same one. It wasn’t just a nightmare, though, it was the memory of the night she had almost died. There were several times over the years where she would wake up and try to convince herself it was a dream.

It wasn’t though.

She knew this because on her right wrist sat a thick, black, metal band. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was made out of, she had given up trying to guess. It looked like onyx and it was actually rather beautiful. She didn’t know what it did or what it symbolized. When she woke up the day after the demon had healed her the cuff had been there. It was somehow connected to the deal she had made. She had tried multiple times to get it removed, but nothing could cut through it.

If it hadn’t symbolized something so terrible then she would actually be quite fond of it. This wasn’t the case, though, and she always kept it hidden under the sleeves of her shirts and jackets.

She entered the academy and when she burst through the doors, she collided with something solid. She almost fell backward onto her bottom, but someone reached out and steadied her. She glanced up and fought the urge to groan when she came face to face with Prefect Klaus.

“Shouldn’t you pay attention where you’re walking?” Klaus released her and Liz stumbled again at the lack of support. “You’re also late.”

“I’m aware of that.” Liz sighed. “I was running, that’s why I wasn’t paying attention.” She turned to go in the direction of her classroom and heard Klaus follow her. “I don’t really have time for a scolding right now.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Miss Hart.” Klaus scoffed. “I’m going in the same direction as you because I’m teaching your class. Believe it or not, but I have more important things to do than follow students around and lecture them.”

“Really, I never would have guessed?” Liz glanced at him over her shoulder.

“You must’ve really slept badly.” Klaus narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re very grumpy today.”

He pushed past her and walked into the classroom. Liz gaped at his back for a second and ground her teeth together. Getting on Klaus’ nerves and possibly winding up with some sort of extra homework would not improve her day. She would just let it go. She took a deep breath and entered the room.

“Your brother is horrible.” Liz hissed at Elias as she passed by his desk.

He was writing in his notebook, but paused the motion at her words. His gaze locked with hers and Liz could’ve sworn she saw his mouth twitch as if he were fighting a smile. “He’s basically the devil.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Liz grumbled as she slid into her seat.

“You’ve never lived with him.”

Liz laughed at Elias comment, but quieted down when Klaus stepped in front of the class. She pulled out her notebook and waited to see what lesson he was going to teach.

Klaus opened a book and scanned the page before closing it with a snap and setting it back on the desk. “You’ve been learning about different magical beings that inhabit the earth from the Headmaster. I’ll continue his lesson, today we’re going over the creatures who use or are associated with dark magic. Can someone give me a few examples?”

A student in the back of the room raised his hand and Klaus pointed to him. “Some Pixies, Gnomes, and fairies practice dark magic, but not all of them. Then there are creatures that were created using dark magic. Behemoths which were created to guard the gates of the underworld. Leviathans once roamed the seas, but were wiped out by some of the early kings of Gedonelune. Seraphims once served the Gods, but now plague the earth.”

Klaus nodded. “You’re correct. Of course, the existence of Behemoths and Leviathans is only speculation. No one knows for sure if they’re real, but with the magic present on the earth then it wouldn’t be surprising. Seraphims are very real though and pose a severe threat. Once they were pure, but now they are corrupted and dangerous. They wield immense power, but are rarely seen in Gedonelune. They generally stay in the northern regions of the world. Can anyone list any more creatures?”

Elias raised his hand. “Those are all beings made or corrupted by dark magic, but there are also creatures born in the underworld. There are Demons who make bargains with humans and feed on souls. There are Angels which are not necessarily bad, but can make questionable choices. Demons are the most common creatures that feed on humans.”

“Yes, Demons never do anything for free.” Klaus crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the desk. Liz squirmed in her seat; this lesson was dangerously close to her experience and she didn’t know if she could sit and listen to it. “Demons are also master manipulators so if you ever encounter one make sure that you do not engage it. If you make a deal with one make sure the terms are clear. They like to use loopholes.”

“What happens if you ever enter into a bargain with a Demon and then wish to break the deal?” Elias asked.

Liz could’ve hugged him for asking that question. She found herself leaning forward in anticipation for Klaus’ answer.

“You can’t break a bargain once it’s made. A demon also doesn’t have the ability to release someone from a deal. Once a bargain is struck; it is in place until both sets of terms are fulfilled.” Klaus stood and began to walk through the rows of desks. “Now, tell me what spells you would use if you ever encounter any creatures of the underworld.”

Liz didn’t hear the answer or the rest of the lesson. She was too busy absorbing the information she had just learned.

She was in so much trouble and she didn’t even know how much. She had no idea what the terms of her bargain were. She also wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out.

* * *

Liz lay in bed later that night but couldn’t sleep. The lesson from earlier kept running around in her head.

_“Demons never do anything for free.”_

She had not seen or heard from the thing that saved her life ten years ago. While she should be relieved a feeling of dread ate at her. The band around her wrist was evidence enough that whatever she had bargained with was still around. Maybe there was a way she could summon it.

Having made up her mind, she jumped out of bed and got dressed. Amelia was gone for the weekend so sneaking out of the dorm wasn’t a problem.

The forest was different at night and Liz found she didn’t like it at all. When she felt like she had gone far enough from the school, she stopped at a clearing.

Liz had never performed dark magic and didn’t even know where to begin. She hadn’t used a spell to talk to it the first time. Maybe it would hear her if she called for it. She felt foolish for what she was about to do.

“Ten years ago, there was a creature that saved my life. I’m trying to locate it.” Liz whispered the words.

A gust of wind broke through the trees and Liz pulled out her wand. She knew she was no match for anything that practiced dark magic. She could still feel the demon’s power from ten years ago. She felt a little safer holding her wand, though.

Her gaze scanned the treeline and that’s when she noticed that it had gotten even darker. Shadows floated around the clearing like ink in water. Tendrils of black drifted around her and lapped at her feet. The cuff on her wrist got warmer and Liz winced. It wasn’t enough to burn her, but it was really uncomfortable.

“I was wondering when you would get curious enough to call on me again.”

A voice carried from the woods and Liz froze. She took in a deep breath. “I was always too scared to know what you could possibly want from me, but I’m done putting it off. So, why don’t you show yourself and tell me what you want.”

“It’s a simple bargain really. You just owe me a soul.” A figure stepped from the trees then and Liz’s eyes widened. She knew that voice had sounded familiar.

Klaus was standing in front of her now, but he was more than just human. His uniform was gone and replaced with a simple black suit. He had his arms crossed in front of him, but Liz recognized the ebony claws that had seized her so long ago. They glinted in the moonlight and Liz had no doubt he could shred her with very little effort. Violet colored horns twisted from the top of his head like a crown. She took in every inch of him and when she finally met his gaze he smiled. The gesture showed off his elongated canines and Liz took a step back.

“Prefect Klaus.” Liz breathed and Klaus tilted his head.

“Hello, Miss Hart.”

“You,” Liz shook her head. “You’re the one that saved me all those years ago?”

She couldn’t believe this. Granted Klaus was arrogant and slightly sadistic, but this man was a Prefect. He was on track to be a Professor. In actuality, he was one of the dark creatures that the school and the world fought against? It didn’t make sense.

“Why are you here, at the school?” Liz asked.

“That’s my business.” Klaus rolled his shoulders.

“What do you mean I owe you a soul?” Liz took a few steps away from him, her wand still held in front of her.

“Did you not listen to the lesson today? When you make a deal with a creature of the underworld your soul is the payment.” Klaus said. “Payment is taken when the demon fulfills his part of the bargain.”

“Then why am I still alive?”

Liz watched as a muscle in Klaus’ jaw moved like he was irritated with the question. “Your bargain is different. I granted you life which means I can’t take your life from you. Whenever fate decides it’s your time to leave this earth, then I’ll be able to claim your soul.”

“Does anyone else know that you’re a demon?” Liz asked as she walked the edge of the clearing. She made sure to keep him in her sights, but also tried to stay as far away from him as possible.

“Oh, Miss Hart,” Klaus let out a low laugh and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were nothing but pits of darkness. “I am so much worse than a demon.”

The shadows that were swirling around the area suddenly slithered to him and ran up the back of him. Liz watched as black feathered wings spread from his back with a loud snap. They extended to their full length and then Klaus tucked them in behind him.

“It feels good to let them out in the open.” He commented and began to walk around the clearing.

“If you aren’t a demon, then what are you? Please, tell me you aren’t a Seraphim.” Liz thought she was going to vomit.

“Gods, no.” Klaus laughed. “Seraphim’s answer to creatures like me. Did you ever wonder how you were able to summon me without performing magic? You see, what you were doing was actually a form of prayer.”

“But only the Gods can hear prayers,” Liz said and then she froze. She remembered praying to all the Gods the night she had been dying. “Klaus, what are you the God of?”

“Now you’re getting it.” Klaus flashed her another fanged grin. He stopped in front of her then and bowed at the waist. “Archangel Nikolaus, ruler of the Underworld.”

“I made a deal with the devil?” Liz whispered. Klaus reached out and grabbed her wrist then; a sharp talon tapped against her cuff.

“You did and you and I are going to have so much fun.”


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of backstory in the chapter but it's necessary so we can move the story along. :)

* * *

_“I made a deal with the devil?”  
_

_“You did and we’re going to have so much fun.”_

* * *

Liz stared up into Klaus’ fathomless eyes. “So, what are the terms of the bargain? You can’t claim my soul so why are you here?” Liz swallowed.

“I’m not here for you. I have business in this region, encountering you was just an unexpected perk. I had every intention of leaving you alone until your death but now that we’re in the same place, I’ll enjoy having you around.” He didn’t smile but Liz could see a hint of amusement in his gaze.

“Then I’ll leave the academy.” Liz hissed and leaned forward. She was in his face now and she didn’t know where her courage came from. Half of her senses had shut down and the other half were screaming at her to _run_. She was sure she would freak out later about antagonizing the ruler of the underworld but now she was just angry. 

His talon tapped against her cuff again, “You could but we’re bound together whether you like or not.” 

The sleeve of his suit jacket moved when Liz ripped her wrist from his grasp. It revealed a cuff that matched hers and Liz’s eyes widened. “See?” Klaus held his arms out to reveal a metal band on each wrist. A golden rope seemed to shimmer between the three cuffs and Liz took a step back.

“Always discuss the terms before you make a deal.” Klaus straightened and his wings shifted behind him. “You will never be able to be free of me. Not until you die, and then your soul goes to the underworld anyway.”

“I was dying! What choice did I have?” Liz glared at him.

“And you wanted to live. I saw your mind when you prayed. You had so many dreams, and here you are achieving them.” Klaus motioned to her. “You passed the trial on your own and got into the academy. How I’ll never know. Your magic is disgraceful.” 

Liz blushed at his comment. She was about to ask him some questions when someone made a noise behind them. Klaus and Liz turned to see Elias stroll into the clearing.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun but you’re needed,” Elias said to Klaus. “War and Death are tracking a pack of Seraphim just north of here. They need you to make the killing blows since they can’t take the creatures on themselves.” 

“Fine,” Klaus replied and spread his wings. “Walk Liz back to the dorm. It’s dangerous here at night and I can’t abandon an extermination of Seraphim if she gets herself in any danger.”

Liz opened her mouth to say that she could take care of herself but Klaus glared at her. She shut her mouth with a snap and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Of course.” Elias nodded and motioned for Liz to follow him. Liz ignored him though and turned to Klaus.

“I’ll find a way out of this.” 

“Good luck, little human,” Klaus smirked and with a beat of his wings took off into the sky.

“Let’s get back to the dorm,” Elias said. After a glance at the sky, Liz walked over to join Elias.

“This morning when you said your brother was the devil, you weren’t kidding.” 

Elias scoffed and glanced over at her. “I wasn’t.”

“So, what are you?” Liz asked. Elias closed his eyes and when he opened them again they were solid black.

“A demon.” He blinked and his eyes went back to normal.

“Why did you ask those questions in class this morning if you knew the answers?”

“For your benefit. I thought it was only fair that you knew what you got yourself involved in. Either you would get curious and seek out Klaus, like you did, or he would get bored enough to yank your chain. Which it seems he is going to enjoy doing.” Elias shook his head.

They walked in silence for a while. “You mentioned War and Death. What is that?”

“Have you ever heard of the four horsemen?” Elias asked.

“No.”

“The ruler of the Underworld has four commanders. War, Death, Conquest, and Famine. War leads the legions of the underworld, Death helps with judging and harvesting souls, Conquest helps the ruler govern, and Famine sees to the prosperity or suffering of the overworld. Each one wields different power. All four of us are currently at the school with Klaus to help out.”

“Are you one of the four? Who are the others?” Liz walked ahead of him and stood in his path. She didn’t want to go back to the dorm just yet. She had questions. “Why are you here?”

“I am Conquest.” Elias stood a little straighter. “I help govern the underworld. We’re here because recently Seraphim have been moving south into human territories. Protecting human’s from malicious dark creatures, with the exception of demons, is Klaus’ jurisdiction. He’s here to wipe them out. The Academy seemed like a good base of operations. If you want to know who the other horsemen are I can tell you but you might not like the answer.”

“I want to know.” Liz nodded.

“War is Vincent, Famine is Randy, and Death is Amelia,” Elias said the words quickly.

“Amelia, my Amelia, is Death?” Liz burst into a fit of giggles and Elias frowned at her.

“So, basically one Prefect is the literal devil, the other is Famine, the other would be Prefect is War, and my roommate is the Grim Reaper?” She doubled over with laughter.

“I don’t find this very funny.” Elias looked down at her.

“Isn’t it, though? There are five creatures of the underworld in the Academy and no one has any idea. How did you even infiltrate?” Liz asked.

“It’s not hard for us to get into people’s heads. We made back stories for ourselves and planted it into everyone’s mind. If we’re going to be stuck here we might as well enjoy it.” 

“I can’t believe this.” Liz shook her head.

“Do you have any more questions?” They reached the front of the dorm and Liz turned to face Elias.

“If I made a bargain with you would my bargain with your brother still be in effect?” Liz asked and Elias’ eyes widened.

“One, it’s impossible to break a deal. Two, I would not be able to break apart his power as a demon. I wield less power than an archangel. Three, he would rip me apart if I took a soul from him. We don’t like to share our dinner.” Elias grinned.

“I’m sure you would be much nicer, though,” Liz grumbled.

“I’m glad you think that but don’t forget,” Elias’ eyes flashed black. “We are mischievous creatures by nature. We delight in torment. There is no guarantee that I would be any kinder.”

With that last statement, Elias turned and walked towards the boy’s dorm. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “Talk to Klaus tomorrow. You need to know everything a deal with him entails and don’t let him walk all over you.”

“Easier said than done.”  

* * *

Liz sighed as she walked into the entrance of the academy. It was the weekend and she would love to be outside. Instead, she woke up to a note on her nightstand ordering her to come to Klaus’ office. 

When she reached the door she stood out in the hallway for several minutes. Once she finally gathered enough courage she reached up to knock but the door opened before she could. Klaus was standing in front of her and he narrowed his eyes.

“It took you long enough to get here.” 

Liz blinked up at him. “I didn’t get your note until I woke up. What do you need and how did you know I was outside the door?”

“I figured I should let you know the full terms of your deal.” Klaus held the door open for her and Liz walked into the room. “I knew you were outside because I can sense whenever you get close to me.”

“Why would you be able to do that?” Liz asked.

“We are bound together until you die. I can sense when you are near or when you’re in danger. Your soul belongs to me so I’m always aware of where it is.” Klaus sat down at his desk. 

Liz looked him over then. He looked so utterly human, there were no signs of the powerful being she had seen last night. He still had presence as a human but it was different. She walked over and sat down in a chair in front of his desk. “Tell me the terms.”

“No object or being from the underworld can harm you or our bargain is void. This essentially prevents me from killing you this minute and taking your soul.” He leaned back in his chair and watched her. “With this bargain also comes my protection. If you are in any sort of danger I will protect you on instinct. This is not because I care for you, it is because what lies deep within you belongs to me. Every demon has that instinct. You will practice your magic with me daily. Things are getting dangerous and you need to be able to defend yourself in case I can’t get to you.”

“I don’t think so.” Liz shook her head.

“You don’t have a choice, Miss Hart.” Klaus picked up a pen and wrote something down. “I can’t be looking over my shoulder to make sure you are okay, so you will train.”

“Tell me about the Seraphim and what you and the horsemen are doing here,” Liz said.

“Ah, I see Elias shared some things with you,” Klaus said. He propped an elbow up on his desk and laid his head in his hand. “What else did brother dearest tell you?”

“That was pretty much it,” Liz replied. “He told me about the Seraphim moving south and that you are here to wipe them out. He said it was your jurisdiction to manage creatures of the underworld and he told me about the horsemen and who they were. Was he not supposed to?”

“No, Elias knows what he can say and what he can’t it seems.” Klaus watched her from his chair. They sat in a tense silence.

“I have a question. How are you an archangel and Elias a demon? I thought you were brothers.” Liz asked. 

Klaus looked thoughtful for a moment and Liz thought he wasn’t going to answer.

“In order to answer that question you need to understand the hierarchy of the heavens. You are familiar with all the gods, correct? Love, Art, War who is different than the horsemen of War, Nature, Wisdom, Prosperity, Frivolity, Sky, Sea, Life, and the Underworld.” Klaus motioned to himself and Liz rolled her eyes. 

“They created the universe and the heavenly and demonic creatures. Everyone in the heavens and underworld is immortal, but we can still be killed, even the gods.” Klaus glanced at Liz to make sure she was listening.

“So, one day the god of wisdom is found dead. All the other gods got together and decided to appoint an angel to take his position and gave the angel all of Wisdom’s power. This became the first archangel. He did so well in his position that the God’s decided that if they could each pass on their powers to an angel then they could spend eternity doing absolutely nothing. They would no longer be responsible for the humans they created. They could live out their immortal days without fear of being killed or hated because they would just stay locked away in the heavens inaccessible to everyone.”

“You’re joking,” Liz said. “They really did that?”

“They did. Well, over time the angels got tired of serving lazy Gods. We already had their powers so why not just do away with them? The wars in heaven began then. The gods against the angels and the demons. The Seraphim were innocent pure creatures and decided to side with the gods. That was their downfall for the gods decided to corrupt them and turn them into warriors to fight in their armies. The gods lost the war, were killed, and the Seraphim fled to earth. Angels continued to serve in the god’s positions and the humans were none the wiser. So, when I refer to the gods I’m actually referring to the other archangels.” Klaus said.

“What does that have to do with you and Elias?”

“I’m getting there.” Klaus snapped. “Elias and I were both born as angels. We grew up in the heavens and trained in case one of the archangels ever died we would be eligible to be chosen to take their job.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question.”

Klaus rubbed at his forehead. “You are already getting on my nerves and you’ve been here ten minutes. Be patient.

They glared at each other for a moment before Liz looked away from him. As much as he irritated her she was still very curious. “Continue.”

“The god of the underworld gets killed by a rouge band of demons one day and so the angels get together to see who would take the job. We volunteer and then the archangels vote and whoever wins becomes an archangel and a god. No one volunteered, though.” Klaus said.

“Why?”

“Being god of the underworld is not enjoyable. You become a demon. You have to harvest and judge souls, you’re essentially banished to the underworld, you have to constantly keep the legions of demons in line. Whoever is bound to the underworld is considered less than the other gods. When no one volunteered I thought that I would speak up. I trained my whole life for the chance to be an archangel so why not take the chance?”

“My family was utterly mortified that I would volunteer to rule the underworld. The minute I took my vows and gained my power they essentially washed their hands of me. Elias decided he would rather serve me than stay in the heavens. In order to do that, he had to give up his wings and become a demon.”

“That’s horrible.” Liz frowned. She actually felt a little sympathy for Klaus and Elias. It lasted for a second before she brushed the feeling away. 

Klaus shrugged. “I found I’m actually quite suited for the underworld and I like my job. I met Vincent, Randy, and Amelia and we’ve done a good job at keeping the demons in line and taking care of the dead. It turned out pretty well.”

“Where is Amelia, Vincent, and Randy?” Liz asked.

“They are out hunting a pack of Seraphim and when they find them I have to go deal with them,” Klaus said.

“Is Amelia okay out there hunting?” Liz’s stomach twisted at the thought of her roommate getting hurt. Even if Amelia had kept her real identity a secret, she was still Liz’s friend.

Klaus laughed and shook his head. “Amelia is the Grim Reaper, believe me, she is more than capable enough to handle some Seraphim. Even if she did get in a bind she would still be fine because Vincent is with her. He would die before he let a Seraphim kill his love.”

“Wait, love?” Liz asked.

“Vincent and Amelia are married. They have been for seventy years now, I think.”

“I never would have guessed. How old are all of you?”

“Old.” Was Klaus’ only reply before he pointed to the door. “See yourself out and we’ll start your training tomorrow.”

“I have so many more questions.” Liz leaned forward but before she could speak again Klaus snapped his fingers. Her vision blurred and when it cleared again she was in her dorm room.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music: Strength of a Thousand Men by Thomas Bergersen

Classes were almost done for the day and Liz was dreading her first lesson with Klaus. When she stepped out into the hallway she found Elias waiting on her.

“You’re going to train with me today.” He pushed off the wall and began to walk down the hallway. Liz followed after him.

“Where is Klaus?”

Elias waited until they were on the outskirts of the courtyard before he answered. “He’s hunting with Amelia, Vincent, and Randy. There was a pack of Seraphim spotted just north of the Academy. They are leading the pack away from the school so they can kill them.”

“Oh, why aren’t you with them?”

“Someone has to stay here and protect the humans.” Elias grabbed Liz’s elbow and the world blurred. The sensation made her nauseous and when her vision was normal again they were standing in a large clearing.

“I wish you would give me a warning before doing that.” 

“Sorry, it’s second nature for demons to be able to teleport. I didn’t think about what it would feel like for you.” Elias frowned.

“It’s fine. It’s easier than walking deep into the woods. I’ll get used to it. What are we going to do today?”

Elias pointed to a stack of wood. “Light a fire.”

“That’s it?” Liz asked. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the wood. “Flau.”

A fire ignited and burned for thirty seconds. Elias waved his hand and a gust of wind suppressed the fire. “Again.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Elias pointed at the wood.

“Fine.” Liz pushed up her sleeves and took a breath. “Flau.” 

Liz lit fire after fire and Elias extinguished them all. The sun was beginning to set behind the trees and Liz was sure she had made at least fifty fires. She was panting when Elias gave her the order to light another fire.

“This time, I want you to keep it blazing for ten minutes without stopping.” 

“I can’t,” Liz breathed. “I’ve been using my magic all day and it’s spent.”

“This will help build your stamina. Just try, please.” Elias said.

“Okay.” Liz lit the fire and concentrated all of her energy into it. Suddenly the fire shot upward into a blaze and licked at the sky. Elias jumped at the sudden onslaught and raised both of his hands. Wind whipped around the clearing and soon the fire was smothered.

“Okay, so when you’re tired your power flares instead of waning. Good to know.” Elias panted. “I think you’re done for the day. This gave me a good understanding of your limits and I can pass the information on to Klaus. You’ll start training with him tomorrow unless he hasn’t found the pack of Seraphim yet.”

“Sorry, I didn’t singe you did I?” Liz asked.

“No, come on we should go back to the dorms. It’s getting late.”

They turned to go when a hissing sound came from the woods. Elias whipped around to face the sound and Liz saw his eyes widen in fear. “Liz come here.” Elias extended his hand and grabbed Liz’s arm. She felt the familiar tug of teleportation but nothing happened.

“Elias, what is it?”

“Seraphim.” Elias hissed and Liz saw his eyes go black. Claws slid from the tips of his fingers and he moved to stand in front of Liz.

“If I tell you to run I want you to go towards the dorm. Don’t stop, don’t look back, just keep running.” 

“Okay.”

Four shadows emerged from the trees and the scent of decay hit Liz like a wall. They had four slim wings that spread limply behind them. Their eyes were crimson red and horns protruded from their head like a halo. Their bodies were slim and green like the color of the forest. They towered above Elias and Liz in height.

One raised a long bony finger and pointed it at Elias. A bolt of lightning shot from its grasp towards them. Elias threw up a shield in front of them with his wind. The shield vibrated with the impact and Elias strained against the blow.

He held fast until the other three Seraphim unleashed their powers on him. The shield shattered and Elias and Liz stumbled backward. One of the Seraphim made a slashing motion with its hand and a white light rushed towards them.

Elias threw up his hands to shield them but he was too late. The light hit him and he fell back against Liz. She grabbed him around the waist in an attempt to steady him. When she removed her hand something sticky covered it. 

She realized it was blood, Elias’ blood. He staggered but righted himself enough to throw out a gust of wind. It knocked the Seraphim to the ground for just a moment before they were advancing on them again.

Arrows flew from the trees then and the Seraphim scattered. Someone landed in front of Liz and Elias and Liz was relieved to see a familiar shade of pink.

Randy raised a golden bow and forced Elias and Liz back towards the treeline.

“Where are the others?” Elias asked.

“They’re on their way,” Randy said.

Liz’s back was pressed into the tree. She could feel the bark poking her through the fabric of her jacket. Randy was standing in front of her with three arrows notched in his bow. His aim was constantly drifting between the four Seraphim as he tried to figure out which one would strike first.

Elias was beside them. Liz could hear his ragged breathing as he struggled to stand. Blood as black as ink was seeping through his shirt from the wound underneath his rib cage.

A whistle, long and low, echoed through the forest and Randy answered it with one of his own. “How are you doing Elias?” Randy asked quietly as the Seraphim advanced on the three of them.

“I’ll be fine if I can get to a healer soon.”

“We’ll get you there. Do you think you can throw up a light screen in about twenty seconds?”

“Yes,” Elias said.

“Okay, Liz stay behind me no matter what.” Randy pulled his bow taut and waited until the Seraphim were close. “Now!”

Light exploded in the clearing and blinded Liz. She could barely see Randy in front of her firing arrows and Elias had completely vanished into the light. She buried her head in the back of Randy’s coat in an attempt to clear her vision.

When her eyesight finally recovered the entire field was engulfed in flames. Two Seraphim were on the ground. The other two were backing away as Vincent and Amelia appeared from the trees, along with a giant wolf.

Vincent hurled a fireball at the two creatures and they shrieked as they dodged it. He held his hand out and an ornate battle ax appeared in his grasp. Amelia was wielding a scythe and Liz was momentarily captivated by her best friend’s movements. Vincent and Amelia were certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Then Liz’s attention turned to the hell beast next to them. The large hound had black fur that glistened in the sunlight like onyx. As it moved and its fur shifted Liz could’ve sworn she saw what looked like molten core swirling on its skin. The beast growled and jumped in front of Elias, protecting him from the battle that still raged on.

Liz was sure that the two Seraphim on the ground were dead, but suddenly their bodies began to rise. They stumbled to their feet and Liz gaped at the sight. Elias collapsed next to her and she knelt in the dirt to inspect him. Randy glanced back at her before moving forward.

“Cerberus, protect them at all costs. Understand?” Randy looked over his shoulder at the wolf and Cerberus nodded.

Liz met the hound’s gaze and Cerberus moved closer to where she and Elias were. It planted itself between them and the battle. Any time a Seraphim got close Cerberus would breathe fire in its direction and the Seraphim would scatter.

“Where is Klaus?” Randy panted as he blocked a blow.

“When we lost the trail he flew north to try to find the Seraphim, apparently they circled back towards the Academy. At least we’ll get our combat training out of the way for today.” Vincent gave Randy a wry smile and the other man shook his head.

Every time they took down the Seraphim the creatures just got up and continued fighting. Liz would’ve hated to see what the wars in heaven were like when the angels took on legions of those creatures.

One of the Seraphim launched itself at Cerberus and then there was nothing but a tangle of gnashing teeth and limbs as the two of them tumbled to the forest floor. The Seraphim broke free from Cerberus and lunged towards Elias and Liz. It didn’t get far though before a crack rang through the sky.

Everyone’s gaze lifted to see the source of the sound, the battle forgotten.

A black blur was falling from the sky and the band on Liz’s wrist began to glow. She realized then it was Klaus. His wings were tucked around him tightly as he fell and at the last minute he threw them out. The motion slowed him down and he slammed into the ground between Elias, Liz, and the Seraphim. He rose from his crouch and a snarl broke from his lips. He bared his fangs and the Seraphim scrambled away from him. They scattered towards the treeline in fear.

“Bind.”

Klaus spoke the word and held out a hand. Tendrils of darkness sprang from his palm and wrapped around the ankles of the Seraphim and tugged them back towards him.

“Nikolaus.” One of the Seraphim craned its head to glance back at Klaus. “Please.”

Its voice was deep and clear. The sound of it was such a contrast to its decaying body that Liz was shocked by the beauty of it.

“Don’t dishonor yourself by begging Braxon,” Klaus spoke evenly. “You were banished to the earth with the understanding that you wouldn’t kill humans. You’ve gone back on your word and now it is my duty to wipe you and your kind from this land.”

“Humans are a plague on this earth. What is harmful about ridding the world of a few of them?” Braxon asked and glanced at Liz. “That scrawny one won’t even be missed.”

“They are innocent creatures, deep down,” Klaus said. Suddenly he smiled coldly. “And you just made the mistake of trying to take my prey from me.”

A shiver went up Liz’s spine at Klaus’ tone and Braxon paled. “I-I didn’t know.”

“Oh?” Klaus reached back towards Liz and grabbed hold of her wrist and lifted it, his cuff gleamed on her wrist in full view. “I think you did. I would’ve found your pack and ended you, peacefully I might add, but instead you antagonized me.” Klaus released Liz’s wrist and pushed her back gently towards Elias. Liz stumbled and glared at his back.

“Nikolaus, please.” Those were the only words Braxon managed to get out.

“Render,” Klaus commanded the shadows and they slithered up the bodies of the Seraphim and into their mouths and nostrils. The vile things clawed at the ground as they tried to breathe. They tore at the shadows around them and struggled to break free. Finally, their bodies went limp on the ground.

Klaus rolled his shoulders and the chaos of the meadow vanished. There was no evidence of the battle that had taken place except for the four lifeless bodies lying in front of him.

He held out his hand again and clenched his fist. The bodies evaporated into red mist and floated up into the air. He glanced at Amelia and nodded.

She waved her hand and a small golden jar appeared in front of her. “What is your judgment, Archangel?”

“Eternal damnation,” Klaus replied and waved his hand. The mist traveled to Amelia and poured into the jar in her hands.

“I’ll take the souls back to the underworld.” She nodded and in a flash she was gone.

“Vincent, help me get Elias to the underworld. Randy, walk Liz back to her dorm.”

Klaus and Vincent hoisted Elias up and with a flip of his hand, Klaus opened up a portal of darkness. The three men stepped through it and the portal closed. Before it did though Liz caught the scent of chypre, tilled earth, and smoke. The smell washed over Liz and she was surprised at how soothing it was.

“Come on.” Randy looked at her and smiled. His hair had fallen in his face and he blew it out of his eyes. He was Famine? Liz still couldn’t wrap her head around it. Randy liked sweets, stuffed animals, and beautiful things. He had bright pink hair for god’s sake. He looked nothing like a being who could decide the prosperity of man.

They walked back in silence. Liz didn’t realize she was shaking until Randy reached out and squeezed her arm. “Are you alright?”

“That was just a lot to process,” Liz whispered. “They just kept getting right back up.”

“Yeah, they do that.” Randy looked down at her and she was surprised to see a hint of concern in his gaze. “Seraphim can not be killed by any power or weapon unless it is wielded by an archangel.”

“That’s why every time you found a pack you had to call Klaus to deal with them.” Liz guessed and Randy nodded. “Will Elias be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s had worse.” Randy said. They reached the dorm and Liz jumped when he hugged her.

“How are you a horseman? You’re so nice.” Liz shook her head.

Randy laughed and pulled back. “Looks can be deceiving, don’t forget what lurks beneath the surface.”

“Elias said the same thing to me, but you all are doing a real good job of proving yourselves wrong,” Liz said and Randy grinned at her.

“Amelia will be back once she and Klaus are done releasing those souls into the fire. I don’t think it’s a good idea if you are alone tonight.”

“Yeah.”

Liz turned away from him and trudged inside. She just wanted to go to bed and sleep for days, but she needed to study. After a bath, she curled up in her bed with her textbook and began reading.

“Liz.” Amelia’s voice startled her from her reading and she looked up to see her roommate perched at the end of her bed. Liz threw her arms around her friend and the other girl laughed.

“You’re really impressive with a scythe,” Liz said. “Also, you’re married to Vincent? You’re death? Tell me everything.”

Amelia pulled away and grinned. “I can’t tell you everything tonight it would take too long.”

“What do you do as death?” Liz asked.

“I harvest souls. If it’s time for someone to die I collect their souls and take them to the underworld. Klaus judges the soul and then they are either sent into the fires or sent into paradise.”

“Where is paradise?” Liz crossed her legs and faced Amelia.

“In the underworld. It’s divided into hell and paradise.”

“So the souls in paradise reside with the angels?” Liz furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“No, the angels, archangels, and other heavenly beings live in the heavens separate from everything else. Paradise is different than the heavens. Which I personally think is great, the angels are not that fun to be around.” Amelia grimaced.

“Paradise is for the humans and animals of the earth and it’s lovely.” She smiled at Liz and squeezed her hand. “Are you alright? You saw a lot tonight.”

“Randy asked me the same thing. I’m fine, I guess. I think I’ll have nightmares about Seraphim for the rest of my life, but I’ll be okay.” Liz said. “What Klaus did to them, does he do that often?”

Amelia tilted her head in thought. “Yes and No. He has to use his abilities like that when he takes on Seraphim or any unruly demons. His magic is the only thing that can harm them. He’s usually more merciful, but I think the sight of you in danger and Elias bleeding on the ground made him a bit angrier than normal. He could’ve done worse, though.”

Liz shivered at the thought. “Klaus said yesterday that demons protect their prey on instinct. What did he mean?”

“Your soul is his. If any other creature tries to kill you and take it, then he will defend you. It’s ingrained in demons. It’s instinct. The minute those Seraphim walked into the clearing where you were he probably felt your fear spike. He reacted like that because Braxon tried to take what was his and demons don’t share. Klaus’ instincts are heightened because he is the ruler of the underworld.” Amelia said.

“Who was Braxon?”

“He was a commander in the Gods armies. He led legions of Seraphim in the war. He should have been killed thousands of years ago.” Amelia said. Something flashed in her gaze. Liz was about to ask her what she was thinking when Amelia stiffened.

A wind whipped through the room and Amelia frowned as a portal opened. The scent of chypre from earlier filled the space. Cerberus bounded through the portal and it closed behind him.

The change in the beast was drastic. He was still bigger than Liz’s bed, but his large tail was wagging and he lowered himself into a playful crouch. Amelia rolled her eyes and scratched the hound behind the ears. She inspected his collar and pulled out a piece of paper that had been tucked behind it. “It’s for you.”

Liz took the paper from her and opened it.

_**“You’ve had a rough day and Cerberus seems to have taken a liking to you. He can stay with you at night if you wish. If he annoys you have Amelia send him back. - Klaus”** _

Liz handed the note to Amelia and looked at the wolf curiously. “He takes up a lot of room.”

Cerberus tilted his head as if he knew what she was saying. “Can I talk to you like I can other animals?” Liz reached out to pat him but then pulled her hand back when she noticed the fire moving underneath his fur.

“You can pet him. He won’t burn you. He can understand you, but you won’t be able to understand him. Only Klaus can communicate with him. Your magic won’t work. He’s a good boy, though.” Amelia smiled when Cerberus’ tail started wagging again. He knocked the lamp off of Liz’s end table, but Amelia caught it. “Sit.”

Cerberus obeyed her and laid his giant head in Liz’s lap. “You’re a sweetheart, you can stay,” Liz said.

Cerberus gave an excited bark and Amelia held her hand up quickly in front of him. “No fire here, though, understand? You’ll burn the dorms to the ground if you get excited.”

Cerberus nodded and laid his head down on Liz again. She giggled and hugged his large neck. “You can’t sleep on the bed; I don’t think you would fit.”

Cerberus laid down next to her bed but left his head resting next to her pillow. Amelia turned the lights out and crawled into her own bed.

“Amelia, if you and Vincent are married, don’t you miss him at night?” Liz glanced over at her roommate.

“I do, but we have an eternity. A few months of not sleeping next to each other is a blink of an eye for us. I don’t mind. Plus, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.” Amelia said.

Liz yawned and buried her head in Cerberus’ fur. “Go to sleep, Liz,” Amelia said. She barely had uttered the words out before Liz was drifting off.


	5. Chapter 4

Liz woke with a jolt. She quickly looked around her dark bedroom and let out a sigh of relief. There were no Seraphim surrounding her, no demons, just a silent room. She rolled over and frowned when she saw that Amelia’s bed was empty. She hoped Amelia was with Vincent and not out hunting more Seraphim. **  
**

Liz noticed a large black shadow move next to her and she tensed. Two orange glowing eyes blinked in the darkness and she realized it was Cerberus. He laid his head on her bed and nudged her with his nose.

She reached out and ran her fingers through his soft fur. He tilted his head and Liz could practically read the concern in his gaze. “I’m fine, I just had a nightmare. I’m also worried about Elias. I would certainly sleep better if I knew he was okay.” Cerberus jumped up and began to wag his tail excitedly.

“What is it?”

He looked around the room for a second and then trotted over to where her boots were sitting. He picked them up in his mouth and sat them in front of her. Then he pulled her coat off the back of her chair and dragged it to her.

“You want me to get dressed?”

Cerberus dropped into a playful crouch and gave an enthusiastic yip. “Okay, okay.”

Liz giggled and slipped her boots and coat on. Cerberus threw his head back and howled. A black rift appeared in front of them and Cerberus bounded towards it. He looked back to make sure Liz was following him and the two stepped into nothingness.

The sight that greeted her was shocking. Cerberus had landed them on the bank of a river. Cliffs made out of onyx stretched on either side of it and seemed to go up as far as the eye could see.  

Cerberus turned to her and tugged on her sleeve to indicate that he wanted her to follow him. The wolf was different in the underworld. He appeared larger and shadows swirled around him menacingly. Even his fur seemed to stand on edge. 

“Ah, Cerberus you are only supposed to bring me souls that are dead. Bringing me a living soul is like bringing a half dead bird to your master’s door.” A voice hissed from the darkness. 

Cerberus snarled and a cloaked figure stepped from the shadows. He reeked of sulfur and Liz took a step away from him. She could barely make out his eyes from beneath his hood. They burned like two coals in a fire.

“At ease, Charon. I’ll escort her to the castle. There is no need for you to take her across the river.”

A blonde woman stepped forward from the darkness. Her long hair fell in waves down her back and a small silver diadem sat on top of the curls. She looked Liz up and down with a calculating gaze and Liz was taken in by the hue of her eyes. They were green, almost like emeralds. They matched the feathered wings that spread from her back. She was the most beautiful creature Liz had ever seen. 

“I bow to your will, Commander.” The being named Charon lowered its head.

“Come with me Miss Hart.” The woman held out her hand and Liz took it. They disappeared in a flash and reappeared in a lavish entryway. Candles lined the room and Liz spun in a circle as she looked around. “You’ll have to excuse Charon he’s ancient and enjoys toying with souls.”

“Liz!”

Amelia barreled down the hallway towards her and hugged her friend. “Why are you in the underworld?”

“I wanted to see Elias so Cerberus took me here.” 

Cerberus looked away from them with a guilty expression on his face and the woman next to them snorted. “If you want to see Elias then you can follow me. I must warn you though he’s been confined to his bed for the night and he’s grumpy.”

She began walking down a hallway and Amelia and Liz followed her. She stopped suddenly and turned to Liz. “I’m sorry I was being rude. I’m Elaine.” 

She smiled at Liz and held out her hand. Liz shook it and returned the smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Elaine is Klaus’ second in command. She rules when he’s not here.” Amelia explained as they walked.

“You’re lucky I got to you before any demons picked up your scent. Next time you want to come to the underworld ask Amelia or Klaus to take you. The demons would love to sink their teeth into you.” Elaine said.

“You mean I can come back anytime?” Liz asked.

“If Klaus permits it. I don’t know how happy he’ll be when he figures out you’re here.” Elaine grimaced.

They continued on their way and Liz realized then that she was wildly underdressed. She really should’ve changed out of her pajamas before she came here. 

Amelia and Elaine were in elegant floor-length dresses. Their hair was perfect and Liz noticed how differently Amelia carried herself in the underworld. Her scythe was strapped across her back and she walked with purpose. She still looked human though and Liz wondered if she hid black eyes and claws like Elias did.

What caught Liz’s eye though were the necklaces both women wore. Elaine’s was solid gold and stretched from the tops of her collar bones to the middle of her neck. Every inch of it was covered in emeralds and it glittered in the candlelight. 

Amelia’s was a rough silver and stretched the length of her neck. Red jewels climbed halfway up the necklace and then turned orange. It almost looked like a roaring fire. Amelia caught Liz looking at her and raised an eyebrow in question.

“I was looking at your necklaces.”

“Oh,” Amelia grinned at Liz. “They’re called ‘Votum’ humans wear wedding bands when they get married. Angels and Demons wear Votum. They’re just necklaces that symbolize we’re bound to someone else. I use magic to hide mine when I’m on the surface because it’s pretty ornate. I don’t want to attract attention.”

“Does Vincent have one?” Liz asked.

Amelia nodded. “He does. When we make our vows to someone then the Votum just appear on us. It’s ancient magic and no one quite knows where it comes from. Everyone’s is different.” 

“Can you take them off?” Liz asked.

“No.” Elaine shook her head. “We can hide them like Amelia said. Which comes in handy especially at night when we have to sleep in them. We can just sort of make them disappear, it’s more comfortable that way. They’re technically always on us, though. The only way they can be removed is if someone in the marriage decides to take back their eternal vow.”

Liz surveyed Elaine again. “You’re an angel. What are you doing in the underworld? I thought all of the angels resided in the heavens.”

“They do. I technically live in the heavens but I work in the underworld.” Elaine smiled.

“Why don’t you just live in the underworld then?” Liz asked.

“My husband lives in the heavens and that’s where my home is. I just work down here to help Klaus out.”

“Elaine is Klaus’ sister-in-law.” Amelia offered the information and Liz glanced back at Elaine.

“I’m married to Sebastian, Klaus’ older brother. He’s the Archangel of the Sky.” Elaine said and pointed to a door. “That’s Elias’ room. Amelia will stay out in the hall and then give you a tour.”

“It was nice to meet you, Liz. I hope to see you again soon.” Thunder boomed loudly from somewhere outside and Elaine sighed dramatically. “I have to go deal with someone having temper tantrum now.”

With one last smile at Liz, Elaine turned to walk away from them. Amelia knocked on Elias’ door and they waited. Elias opened it a moment later and Liz was relieved to see him up and about.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Elias’ eyes widened. 

“I wanted to know if you were okay so Cerberus took me here,” Liz replied.

Elias glanced down at the dog. “Oh, you are going to be in so much trouble.” Elias smiled. “Come in.”

Liz stepped into the room and Elias closed the door behind her. “Well, you can see I’m perfectly fine. Amelia should take you back to the surface.”

He crossed his arms and glanced at Liz. “I just wanted to thank you for protecting me, even if it meant getting injured.”

Elias looked surprised and Liz smiled when she noticed he was blushing. “You’re welcome.”

“Were you badly hurt?” Liz looked him over then. He looked fine he was walking around and she saw no sign of pain. Elias shrugged and went to one of the shelves in his room. He had a stack of books next to him and he began to look through them.

“I was but our healing capabilities are phenomenal. I got stitched up and the healer confined me to my room for twenty-four hours. I’m almost in perfect condition at this point. I still have twelve more hours of confinement but It’ll give me a chance to catch up on my reading.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Liz walked to one of the bookshelves and began to look at the volumes. They were all in different languages and a few she didn’t even recognize because they were no longer in use. “Elias, how old are you?”

“Once you reach a certain age you kind of loose track. I think I’m about one thousand three hundred years old.”

Liz dropped the book she was holding and turned to face him. “You’re over one thousand years old?”

“Yes, and I’m the youngest of the group.” Elias pointed to a book above Liz. “Can you hand me that?”

“Who is the oldest?” Liz asked curiously and reached for the book.

“Elaine, she even fought in the holy wars. She’s over three thousand years old. Vincent is next and he thinks he’s around two thousand three hundred. Randy and Klaus are both one thousand eight hundred years old and Amelia is one thousand six hundred. Those are all rough estimates, none of us are sure.”

“I have another question. Klaus told me that when you chose to follow him to the underworld you were forced to give up your wings. How can Elaine work down here and still keep hers?” Liz turned to Elias and she saw his gaze darken slightly. Silence stretched for several minutes and Liz didn’t think he would answer.

“My family took my wings,” Elias said quietly. “Klaus wasn’t there, he was dealing with a demon uprising. He was brand new to his position as archangel and needed to display his power. I had already told him that I would rather go with him than stay with our family. He was going to come get me after he was done. They told me that if I was going to follow Klaus into disgrace then I should be a proper demon, which meant no wings. Elaine tried to stop them, that’s when the rift between her and Sebastian occurred.”

“She still wears a votum,” Liz said.

“They’re still married. As much as she resents what he did to me and to Klaus she still loves him and my eldest brother has _many_ shortcomings but he’s very good to Elaine. She tried to stop him and my father from maiming me but my mother held her back.” A muscle worked in Elias’ jaw. 

“Klaus showed up but it was too late. He made me a demon so I could retain some semblance of power and then offered me the position as a horseman. Then he turned on Sebastian and took one of his eyes.” Elias grinned at that last statement. “Scarred him up pretty bad too. Klaus grabbed me and took me to the underworld. Klaus and I may not be the warmest to each other but we’re the only family the other has. Elaine showed up that night in a rage and told Klaus that she would help him any way she could, that she didn’t agree with the way our family cast Klaus out or what they did to me. So, now she works as Klaus’ second in command, partly because she loves us and wants to help, and the other part is because she knows it angers our family.”

“I’m sorry about what they did to you.” Liz murmured.

“I wasn’t really a fan of flying anyway,” Elias grinned. “I quite like it down here as well. It turned out okay in the end.”

* * *

Klaus sighed and rubbed his eyes as he stared at the paperwork in front of him. He didn’t need sleep as often as humans but it had been four days since he got some shut eye. It was beginning to take its toll. He had to keep up the appearance of being a Prefect though which meant he had to do the work.

Klaus tried not to use his magic during the day so he could conserve his energy for hunting. He decided he would be fine if he used a little this time. He waved his hand in front of the papers and they appeared in a neat stack on the other side of the desk completely filled out.

The fire blazed in the hearth and Klaus moved to stand in front of it. He shut his eyes and leaned against the bookcase behind him. The warmth of the room was peaceful.

Suddenly something deep within him tugged and a feeling of wrongness washed over him. It took him a minute to realize what the feeling was, he couldn’t feel Liz’s soul. His panic flared and he grabbed his coat, intent on heading over to the dorms to see what was going on.

Then, he felt her again but the feeling of wrongness remained. Liz was in the underworld. Temper flared through him like a wildfire causing his wings to flare out behind him. He opened a portal with his hand and walked through it.

Liz had no idea how dangerous the underworld was for her. The demons would give anything to take a soul away from him. He just hoped she didn’t encounter anyone until he got there.

He appeared in a boom of thunder and the demons in the area scattered like mice. He had taken two steps toward his palace when Elaine suddenly appeared in front of him. He had every intention of ignoring her but she put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

“Remove you hand from me this instant.” Klaus glared at her. He could feel his canines lengthening and his eyes changing color. Claws slid from the tips of his fingers but Elaine just rolled her eyes. The demons in the area where giving them as much room as possible; they didn’t want to be around in case either lost their temper. Klaus might be the ruler of the underworld but Elaine was just as scary.

She smiled at him. “She’s perfectly fine, Nikolaus. Cerberus brought her straight to me and she just asked to see Elias. I didn’t think the request was unreasonable.”

“You felt no need to contact me?” Klaus hissed. “She’s a human this is no place for her. It’s dangerous here.”

“I’m here and so are your commanders. She’s fine and she was worried about her friend.” Elaine glared right back at him. She was in no mood to coddle him today.

Klaus stepped around her and headed in the direction where he knew Liz was. Elaine appeared in front of him again; her wings bristled as she stared him down. “I won’t let you yell at her for being kind. She’s innocent and precious and I will fight you where you stand if you make her regret coming here. Now reign in your temper this instant or I will go back to the heavens and you’ll have to appoint someone else to be your second in command.”

Klaus stopped immediately. “You would do that?’

“Yes, Klaus she’s wonderful and I know that she’s tied in a bargain to you but I think she’s good for you and the horsemen. I’ve never seen them so happy to be around a human. She’s practically got them all eating out of the palm of her hand. You are tied to her until her death, you could at least make an effort to be friendly.” Elaine crossed her arms across her chest. “Your bargains are yours to make. If you didn’t want to be tied down to a human then you shouldn’t have made the deal and let her die.”

Klaus’ eyes searched hers for a moment before he took a deep breath. He folded his wings behind him and rolled his shoulders. “Alright. Fine. I’ll be good. Now, where is she?”

“She’s checking on Elias. Amelia will bring her to you when they’re done.” Elaine turned to walk away from him.

“You don’t get attached to people, Elaine. Why defend her?” Klaus called to her.

“There’s just something about her.” Elaine shrugged and then glanced over her shoulder. “And who says I don’t get attached. I deal with your grumpy demeanor and your psycho family on a daily basis because I care for you, Elias, and Sebastian. I’m going back to the heavens for the day. Play nice.”

“Give my love to my family,” Klaus smirked.

“I will do no such thing. I’ll see you at the next strategy meeting and you can tell them yourself. I know how much you’re looking forward to it.”

Elaine winked at him and Klaus grimaced. She laughed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.  

Klaus stood there and thought about what she said for a moment before walking into his home. He had work to do, while he was was here he might as well get started on it.

* * *

Amelia led Liz to a door and knocked on it. They both waited for a moment and the doors swung open.

“Go on.” Amelia pointed to the room and Liz gave her a pleading look. “Nope, you’re on your own. I’m not currently on his bad side and I would like for it to stay that way. I’ll see you later.”

Liz glared at her friend and stepped into the room. It was a large study. Bookshelves lined the wall; they were crammed with scrolls and books. Shoved against one of the large floor to ceiling windows was a desk. Liz could see a balcony beyond the window that looked out over the underworld. It was a breathtaking view and she moved toward the door to go take a look.

She found Klaus out there. He was leaning on the railing and looking out over the river Styx. His wings were folded behind him. His jacket was draped over the railing next to him and he had his sleeves rolled to his elbows. This was probably the calmest Liz had ever seen him.

He was in his element she realized. His claws were out and she could see the horns that twisted from the top of his head. He wasn’t hiding what he was. Klaus actually looked at peace. He turned at the sound of her approach and his wings rustled irritably.

“How much trouble am I in?” Liz asked as she moved to stand next to him.

His black eyes fixated on her for a moment before he turned back to the view. His talon tapped the stone and he sighed. “I’ve calmed down quite a bit so you aren’t in that much trouble.”

Liz’s sigh of relief was audible and Klaus smiled. “What, did you think I was about to chuck you off of this balcony?”

“Yes,” Liz answered honestly and Klaus shook his head.

“Well, then you would have died by my hand and I wouldn’t have been able to claim your soul.”

“Glad to know that having me as a meal is the only thing keeping you from doing that. Here I thought it was because you were actually a decent person.” Liz shot back.

“Oh, Miss Hart who ever told you I was decent?” Klaus smirked and Liz rolled her eyes. “They were lying.”

“I think you are deep deep _deep_ down,” Liz said. She looked him over then and glanced at his neck. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone and she could see the expanse of his throat.

“Why are you staring at my throat?” Klaus asked. He was looking at her curiously and then understanding flashed in his eyes. Liz was shocked when he threw his head back and laughed. “Are you looking for a votum?”

“Well, I was curious,” Liz grumbled. “Amelia and Elaine explained how the magic works and I wanted to know if you had someone.”

“I’m not married,” Klaus said. “There isn’t anyone beneath, on, or above the earth that is my equal. I also don’t like the idea of being tethered to anyone.”

“You’re tethered to me in a way.” Liz protested. “That’s also an incredibly arrogant sentiment. Surely there is someone who has caught your eye over the years.”

“You’ll live another eighty years at most. That is a blink of an eye for creatures like me and I am more than happy to wait that long for a meal. While I’m not enthusiastic about our deal it isn’t that much of a problem.” Klaus said. “I’ve taken a few people to bed but it was never more than that. A relationship is not something I seek out.”

“If our deal is such a horrible thing then you shouldn’t have saved me.” Liz glared at him. “And I don’t care about your love life, I was just curious to see if you were married.”

Klaus returned her gaze for a moment and then a question formed in Liz’s mind. “Why did you save me, Klaus?”

He looked out over the expanse of his kingdom before standing up straight. “Come with me.”

He held out a hand and touched her shoulder. The world tilted and then they were both standing in a garden. The plant life seemed to glow even with the lack of sunlight. Vines covered a cliff face to the east and to the west stood a large iron gate. She could barely see Klaus’ castle over the peak of a mountain in the distance.

“What is this place?”

“It’s a sacred garden. Only Amelia and I have access to it.” Klaus replied and began to walk down a path. Liz hurried after him and only caught up when she found him next to a plant. It looked like it was dying but Klaus held his hand out and the plant’s color became more vibrant. Other plants they encountered, he would kneel next to and shake his head before standing again. Then he pulled a notebook from his vest pocket, wrote something down, and put it away again.

“It’s called the Garden of Souls. Each plant here represents a living soul on earth. I tend this garden along with Amelia. We keep the plant’s happy and healthy and when a plant starts to wither we do our best to keep it alive. When it is beyond saving I write the name of the soul down in that book and Amelia goes to collect it. This is how we know who’s soul to harvest.” Klaus said. “That isn’t why I brought you here, though.”

“Is my soul in this garden?” Liz asked and Klaus stopped. To her surprise, he gave an exasperated sigh before pointing to the cliff face and the gate. 

“Your soul is the pink bougainvillea currently climbing the cliff face and the gate and basically every surface it can get to. Amelia and I have tried taming it but it’s doing its best to try to overrun the garden.”

“That’s my soul?” Liz gaped. “It’s everywhere.”

“Yes, you were a pain in my side even before I made that bargain with you,” Klaus smirked and continued to lead her down the path. They emerged into a large clearing and Liz froze. 

In front of them stood an enormous tree. It glittered and as they got closer Liz realized that the autumn leaves hanging off of it were actually small, shimmering, crystals. “It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Liz whispered.

“Every archangel has a tree like this. When someone prays to the gods their prayer is manifested as one of these crystal leaves. When a god decides to grant the prayer they pluck the leaf from the tree. Different colored crystals symbolize different prayers. My tree is generally covered in red and orange crystals which are prayers for revenge, vengeance, or justice. People tend to pray to me to smite their enemies. I ignore most of these prayers and every once in a while I’ll get a different colored crystal. No one bothers to pray to the god of the underworld for peace, or wealth, or happiness.”

Liz watched him as he circled the tree as if he was looking for one of those rare prayers. “One day though a pure white crystal appeared on the tree. It was a prayer of someone begging for life. I hadn’t seen anyone pray to me to grant life in so long. So, when I saw your crystal I plucked it and decided to grant your request.”

“That’s when you appeared to me, while I was sick,” Liz said.

“Yes, and I granted you life.” Klaus came to stand in front of her.

“At the price of my soul.”

“Every deal has a price, Liz. As much as it bothers me to be tethered to you, I don’t regret it. At least I don’t think I do.” Klaus shrugged. “I cherish prayers like yours and they happen so rarely.”

“I know I’ve never said it but thank you for saving me.”

* * *

Liz laid in large comfortable bed later that evening. Klaus had offered to take her back to the academy but Liz had begged to stay the night so she could see more of the underworld. She would return home in the morning. 

Cerberus was curled up against her in the bed and Liz was petting him. He was snoring loudly and it made Liz smile. He had gotten a scolding from Klaus but the dog basically ignored him all the while he jumped around the angel happily. Klaus eventually just gave up, patted the dog, and went to his study to work.

Amelia showed her some other places in the realm and Liz was taken aback at how beautiful some parts of the underworld were.

The sound of the rivers gurgling outside and the steady scent of chypre wafting in the breeze lured Liz into a deep sleep. She wouldn’t mind coming back to the underworld at all.


	6. Chapter 5

Deep within the darkness of the underworld, the three fates watched the tangled threads of life. Their voices echoed off the caves as they spun their songs of life and death.  Lachesis sings of the things that were, Clotho the things that are, and Atropos the things that have yet to pass.

“Sisters.” Clotho hissed. “Look.”

The ancient beings gathered around a thread pulled tight by Clotho. 

“I see nothing out of the ordinary,” Lachesis answered.

“Look closer.” Clotho insisted.

“It’s…it’s changing color.”

"Yes, it is,”

“But that only happens…”

“When an Archangel is being crowned.” Clotho cackled with glee. Sure enough, the golden thread was slowly turning into a shade of the purest silver. Anything that could cut through the boredom of immortality was interesting to Clotho and this was certainly something new. “And there are no new archangels set to be crowned. All positions are filled, but sisters look even closer at the thread.”

Atropos squinted as she appraised the smooth material. “It belongs to a mortal?”

“A mortal who is tied to the King of the Underworld in more ways than one it would seem.” Clotho smiled. “She has quite a future in store for her.”

“Should we give the little mortal a glimpse of her future?” Atropos asked her sisters. The two nodded with amusement.

“Oh, winds of the future, find your way to the little mortal and give her visions of the grandeur that awaits her,” Atropos muttered and opened her palm. A silver feather sat on the wrinkled skin and the fates gathered around to inspect it.

“Well, well, it certainly was getting boring around here. It looks like that is going to change, sisters.”

They blew the feather up, up, up into the air and it floated away on the winds of fate.

* * *

“Will you hurry up?” Liz shifted impatiently by the door.

“Hold on one second.” Elias snapped as he grabbed a piece of toast off the table and attempted to down his tea at the same time.

“Well I’m hungry and I want to make it back to the dorm in time for breakfast,” Liz replied.

“Look, it’s not my fault you can’t eat any food in the underworld. It’s law. No mortal can eat the food or you get trapped here. Would you like to be trapped here?” Elias said. He was trying to balance his bag and tea in one hand while he buttered his toast with the other.

“Normally I would say no but that pastry looks rather good,” Liz said.

“Well, that’s something I never heard before.” Elias smiled. “A mortal trapped in the underworld all because they couldn’t turn down a pastry.”

Elias turned and walked towards the door. He went to take a bite of his toast and adjust his bag but forgot there was tea also in his hand. He dropped the cup but before it hit the ground Liz caught it.

“Huh.” She squinted at the cup and sat it down on the table as if it had burned her.

“What is it? Nice save by the way.” Elias walked past her and led her down a hallway.

“Nothing.” Liz shook her head. “I just had a weird case of deja vu. It was almost as if I knew you were going to drop that cup. I think I dreamt about it last night.”

“You dreamt about me dropping a teacup? You aren’t very creative.” Elias said.

“It’s not like I can control my subconscious and you being clumsy wasn’t the _only_ thing that was in my dream. I think the underworld has a weird affect on me.” Liz shrugged. “Where are we going?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it did. We’re meeting Klaus at his study. He had to judge some souls this morning but he should be finished. He’ll take us back to the overworld.” Elias said.

“Can you open portals like he does?” 

“Not exactly. If I’m on the overworld I can teleport to anywhere in the overworld. The same thing applies for when I’m in the underworld. The only way I can travel without Klaus is if someone summons my demon form with magic. Klaus and Amelia are the only ones that can open up portals between the two worlds at any time. Amelia took Vincent and Randy a little earlier to the academy to do a quick sweep of the woods.”

“How does Klaus judge souls?”

“Mmm, I’m not sure. It’s something only he can do so he’ll have to answer that question. I’ve heard it’s like instinct, that he knows immediately where a soul needs to be placed. Of course, he can take a glimpse at their life to make sure he cast the correct judgement. He takes sentencing people to the fires very seriously and makes sure he’s absolutely sure before doing so. I think one of his biggest fears is that he’ll misjudge a soul.” Elias said.

Elias stopped in front of Klaus’ study and knocked. 

“Come in.” Elias frowned at the voice but stepped into the room. Liz followed him. Elaine was sitting at the desk and looked up when they entered.

“Sister.” He smiled at her and sat down on one of the chairs by the fire. “Where is Klaus?”

“He was ambushed by a few demons on his way back here and he’s dealing with them,” Elaine replied.

“Oh, those poor creatures.” Elias laughed.

Liz looked between the two of them. “Does he get ambushed by demons often?”

“Yes,” Elaine answered. “The demons got the bright idea thousands of years ago that they should be able to govern themselves. They can’t, they would tear each other to shreds within months. They hated the gods that once ruled over them but they respected them because of what they symbolized. When the archangels took over they didn’t like it. Every archangel that has ruled the underworld since then has met his end at the hands of the demons. Klaus is much smarter than his predecessors though and more powerful. The demons haven’t been able to touch him. You would think after three hundred years of failure they would give up but they are persistent.”

“Fools.” Elias shook his head. “That’s going to put Klaus in a bad mood for the rest of the day too.”

Thunder boomed outside and Elaine smiled before making her way to the door. “Good luck.”

Liz was looking out the window and noticed something in the sky. It was Klaus. He landed on the balcony with ease and paced the length of it. His movements reminded Liz of a caged animal. He was in black armor and he had a sword in each hand. Black blood dripped from the blades and pooled on the stone floor.

Klaus noticed her and walked towards the door to his study. When he walked into the room his armor and swords had vanished along with his wings, horns, and claws. He was in his school uniform now but he still looked agitated. 

“Let’s go.” He waved his hand and a portal appeared. He grabbed his bag from his desk and stepped into the black hole.

“Let’s hope none of the professors need Klaus to teach today. If they do class is going to be brutal.” Elias grumbled and Liz smiled at him. She grabbed his hand and tugged him through the portal.

They stepped into a clearing in the woods and Vincent, Amelia, and Randy were there waiting on them.

“Subdue the demons. That’s part of your job.” Klaus stormed over to Vincent.

“I give them orders but it doesn’t mean they listen and since we’ve been on the surface lately, there is no one there to supervise them. You’ve proven yourself a capable ruler but all they see are those wings on your back. They don’t care if you have demon blood in you. You’re still an angel in their eyes and they’re stupid enough to think they can rule themselves. The ambushes aren’t going to stop.” Vincent crossed his arms across his chest.

“Get them in line or start executing them. I have a job to do and I can’t do it if I’m attacked every time I step foot out of the palace. See to it.” 

“Watch your tone, boy.” Vincent stepped towards Klaus. Claws slid from the tips of his fingers and his eyes went black. “I’m doing all I can.”

The clearing began to darken as Klaus spread his wings. “Call me boy one more time. I dare you.”

A growl rippled through Vincent and Klaus bared his fangs at his General. 

“Enough!” Amelia stepped between them and looked at Vincent. “Walk away.” 

Vincent was radiating tension and a fire began to spread through the clearing. Suddenly Amelia reached up and tugged on the rigid iron of Vincent’s votum. “Walk away Husband.”

Vincent looked down at her for a moment before snarling at Klaus one last time and walking into the woods. The fire disappeared from the clearing and Amelia relaxed.

“Mind your tone, Nikolaus,” Amelia spoke softly. “We’re your friends.” She turned and walked after Vincent. 

Liz noticed then that Elias had stepped in front of her and Randy had pulled something from his bag. He had taken a step towards Klaus but was slowly backing away now. He slid whatever he had been holding back into his satchel. 

“Come on.” Elias backed Liz towards the treeline. “I don’t want to hang around in case Vincent comes back.” Randy nodded at Elias in silent communication before walking over to Klaus.

“Who would win that fight?” Liz asked as they walked towards the academy. 

“That’s hard to say. Klaus is a skilled fighter but Vincent can wipe the floor with Klaus in a hand to hand fight. Klaus has the upper hand in magic, though. They would be pretty evenly matched.” Elias shrugged. “I understand Klaus’ frustration _but_ Vincent and Klaus have both been absent from the underworld. Klaus can’t place the full blame on Vincent. Especially since the demons are defying Vincent’s orders as well as Klaus’. Vincent doesn’t get angry often but he takes his job seriously. I think the fact that Klaus made it sound like it was his fault made Vincent angry. They’ll both calm down and be friends again before the sun goes down.”

“What was Randy pulling out of his bag?” Liz asked.

“A powder he concocted. If he blows it in someone’s face it’ll put them to sleep. He was getting ready to subdue Klaus and Vincent if it got ugly.”

“That’s interesting,” Liz said. “Would he tell me about it?”

“Randy could talk for hours about the things he’s created. He would be delighted if you asked him about it.” Elias laughed. “Let’s get to class.”

* * *

Liz walked to the Prefects office later that day and chewed on her nail nervously. She hoped that Klaus’ bad mood was over. She didn’t think she had the energy to deal with a grumpy archangel today and he had been so nice to her last night in the underworld.

She knocked on the door and after a minute Klaus opened the door for her. She barely had a foot into the room before he was grabbing her by the arm and they were teleporting away from the academy.

Liz gasped at the sudden change of scenery and tried to get her stomach to settle. “You all have got to stop doing that.” 

“Sorry.” Klaus shrugged and took a few steps away from her.

“Have you and Vincent talked yet?” Liz wondered and Klaus glared at her.

“What goes on between me and my commanders is none of your business.” 

“You know it’s not his fault.” Liz crossed her arms and glared back at him. “He isn’t to blame for the demons attitude.”

“Vincent and I will sort it out. Being attacked by twenty demons this morning was not good for my mood.” Klaus snapped.

“That still doesn’t give you an excuse to lose your temper. By the way, you and Vincent are pretty terrifying when you both get all snarly and angry.” Liz shuddered and she thought she saw Klaus’ lips twitch like he was fighting a smile.

“Snarly and angry? I don’t think we’ve ever been described with those words.” Klaus gestured to Liz. “Pull your wand and throw up a barrier spell.”

“Why?” Liz asked wearily. 

“Because I said so.” Klaus held his hand up and suddenly it was engulfed in a blue flame. Liz had just enough time to shield herself before Klaus released a blue fireball from his hand.

“You can summon fire too?” Liz grumbled against the strain on her magic.

“I can,” Klaus replied and unleashed another attack on her. Liz strained against the spell and grit her teeth. The hell fire licked at her shield, looking for a way in. “Concentrate on your shield, picture how thick you want the walls to be, how big you want it to be, then focus your magic into that image.”

Klaus spread his palm and the flames became thicker and pressed down on her shield. If he didn’t stop soon he would shatter it. “I think you’re still taking your bad mood out on people,” Liz said.

Her shield groaned and she glared at him. “Just calm down and relax! You need to figure out how to unwind.”

Suddenly Klaus’ attack stopped and Liz looked at him. The tension had gone out of his shoulders and he did look calmer but just for a moment. The contrast in his mood was so sudden it was unreal.

“What just happened?” Liz demanded. Klaus let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.

“You said something that sounded like a direct order and my body instinctively followed it.” He looked irritated again.

“What do you mean?” Liz asked.

“When a human makes a deal with a demon they can give direct orders and we’ll follow them.” Klaus ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think it would apply to me but it seems it does.”

“You’re joking.” Liz gaped at him. A slow smile spread across her face and Klaus narrowed his eyes at her.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Klaus said.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun.” Liz was practically dancing in place she was so excited.

“Don’t abuse this privilege or I’ll just avoid you.” Klaus snapped.

“You can’t.” Liz laughed. “I could just order you to appear in front of me.”

Klaus opened his mouth to argue and then closed it when he realized she was right. “Let’s get back to work.”

“No, I’m trying to think about what my first order will be.” Liz held up a hand.

“You just gave me your first order,” Klaus growled.

“But I didn’t _know_ I had given you an order. It doesn’t count.” Liz tapped her chin with her finger while she thought. Klaus sighed and took a few steps away from her. Since they were alone he let his wings free and they ruffled in agitation.

“Oh stop acting like an angry cockatoo I won’t abuse this power.” Liz waved her hand. “I would love some chocolate, though. Get me some chocolate.”

Klaus grumbled something under his breath and waved his hand. A bar of chocolate appeared and he handed it to her.

“This is going to be so useful,” Liz grinned.

“If you’re finished can we get back to work?” Klaus asked then he froze. “Did you just call me an angry cockatoo?”

“I did,” Liz grinned.

“You are ridiculous.” Klaus shook his head. “Summon your barrier spell.”

* * *

Liz and Klaus walked back to the dorms after her lesson was done. Liz felt much lighter now with the knowledge that she had a slight advantage when it came to dealing with the king of the underworld.

“Are you going back to the underworld?” Liz asked.

“I am. I have some work I need to do and Elaine wants to go home for a little while so she can see Sebastian.” Klaus said.

“I would like to go back to the underworld sometime soon,” Liz said.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. There’s just something peaceful about it.” Liz shrugged. “It’s rather beautiful and I liked the garden of souls.”

Klaus was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. “Alright, this weekend you can come spend a few days with us. Amelia or I will have to go to the surface to get you food but it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Yeah, Elias mentioned I would get trapped if I ate the food.”

“Yes, it’s never happened and I would like for you to be careful. I already have to see you at the academy if you’re trapped in the underworld then I’ll never have a moment of peace away from you.” 

“Aw, I love spending time with you too.” Liz patted his arm and Klaus laughed. “Make up with Vincent.” 

“I’m sure Amelia will bang our heads together and force us to communicate.” Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Liz grinned at him before running inside.

Amelia wasn’t in the dorm room and Liz wondered if her friend was really going to force the two men to work out their differences. Exhausted from the day she began to get ready for bed.

A portal opened up in her room and Cerberus bounded through it. His giant tail was wagging and he was jumping with excitement.

“It’s good to see you too.” Liz hugged the wolf’s neck. “Go lay down next to the bed I’ll be there in a minute.”

The dog trotted over to the bed and plopped down next to it. He watched Liz as she walked around the room and prepared her things for the next day. When she was finally done she crawled into bed.

Cerberus laid his head on her pillow and Liz rubbed his ears. He licked her and Liz giggled. “Good night Cerberus.”

* * *

_Liz was dreaming. She didn’t know how she knew that; she just knew that what she was seeing wasn’t real._

_She was standing in a clearing in the woods. It was the same one where she had first summoned Klaus._

_Klaus, Randy, Amelia, Elias, and Vincent were standing outside of a magical barrier and it looked like they were frantically trying to break it open. Klaus’ shadows slithered up the sides of it as they looked for a way in while Vincent hacked at it with his ax. Elias was beside his brother and was trying to blast his way through the wall._

_Amelia was prowling around it as she looked for an opening. Her eyes were black and her scythe was in her hand. Randy was firing one arrow after another and Liz watched as one fractured the barrier._

_Liz stepped closer to see what was happening and gasped at the sight in front of her._

_A Seraphim was standing in the barrier and he had her by the throat. Klaus was talking to the Seraphim but Liz couldn’t hear what he was saying. Liz saw her dream self’s lips move as she responded to a question._

_Suddenly the clearing exploded in a flash of light that engulfed her and the Seraphim._

_When the light cleared Liz blinked in disbelief at what she saw. Silver glittering wings spread from her own back and a votum made of silver and black diamond glittered on her neck._

_She watched as black claws slid from the fingertips of her dream self and she gutted the Seraphim where it stood._

The vision faded and Liz was back in her dorm room.

She sat up in bed frantically and turned on the light before running to the mirror. There were no beautiful wings on her back and no votum around her neck. She sighed and a hysterical laugh escaped her lips.

Cerberus was at her side and nudged her in concern.

“I’m fine.” Liz shook her head. “It was just a dream. Let’s go back to bed.”


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is slight NSFW content in the first few paragraphs. If you don’t want to read it then skip the italicized part. :)

_The silk sheets against her skin were cold and her body shivered. It wasn’t because of the cool material though it was because of the kisses against the inside of her leg. They were climbing higher and Liz threw her head back against the pillows._

_Teeth scraped against her sensitive flesh before they suddenly stopped. Liz raised her head to stare at the person in between her thighs. Eyes black as night looked back at her and Liz gasped as Klaus looked her body over. He ran a hand over the curve of her breast and she arched into the touch as he moved his palm over her body. He lowered his mouth to her center and Liz clutched at the sheets underneath her at the touch of his lips against her._

Liz’s eyes flew open and she sat up in bed as she struggled to catch her breath. For a moment she forgot where she was as she surveyed the unfamiliar room around her. Cerberus was in the large bed next to her and he raised his head at her movements.

She was in her room in the underworld. She was alone. She took another deep breath and shook her head.

Where in the world had _that_ dream come from? She flopped back against the pillows and stared up at the ornate ceiling and chandelier shimmering in the moonlight of the room. Cerberus laid his head on her shoulder and Liz turned her head to look at him.

He licked her nose and she giggled. “It was just a dream right Cerberus?”

The hound had no idea what she was referring to but he nodded in agreement. Liz rubbed his ears and Cerberus nudged her cheek with his large nose.

So some part of her mind was attracted to Klaus it seemed. She could accept that, he was good looking after all. Finding someone attractive did not mean she liked him. They were friends she guessed in some _really_ odd way, that was all.

She laid in bed hoping she would be able to go back to sleep but she couldn’t. She was wide awake and she had no idea what time it was. It was constant night in the underworld so she had no way of knowing if it was three o’clock in the morning or high noon.

With a sigh, she shoved the blankets and furs off of her and stretched. She might as well get up and get ready for her day.

After she got dressed Liz walked from her room to Klaus’ study. Klaus’ palace was extensive and she didn’t feel like exploring. She didn’t exactly know where she was allowed to go or what dangers lurked in the castle. She didn’t even know if he was in his office but it seemed like the best place to wait for him.

She knocked on the door and was surprised to hear an answer. She pushed the heavy door open and found Klaus at his desk. He looked like he had been working for quite some time. Papers littered the top of his desk and he had the sleeves of his shirt rolled to his elbows. He glanced up at her when she approached him and the way he stared up at her through his lashes reminded Liz of her dream. Her breath hitched at the sight and she was suddenly aware of how warm the room was. Klaus seemed to notice something was up because he narrowed his eyes at her. Liz forced the dream from her mind and took a deep breath. She could not think about that right now, not with Klaus in the room.

“How long have you been working?” Liz wondered.

“A few hours.” 

“What time is it?” Liz yawned.

“5:47 in the morning.”

“Do you ever sleep?” Liz asked.

“I require less sleep than you, Miss Hart. What are you doing up so early? Shouldn’t _you_ be asleep?” Klaus organized some papers on his desk and leaned back in his chair to look at her.

“I had a dream and couldn’t go back to sleep.” Liz shrugged. “What do you have to do today?”

“Not much actually. I was wondering if you would like a tour?”.

Liz smiled and nodded. “I would like that very much. Can we go to the garden of souls again? I want to see if my flower is still terrorizing the garden.” 

“Oh, believe me, it is,” Klaus replied. “It’s climbing the fence now.”

“Good.” Liz nodded and Klaus shook his head. 

Suddenly Elaine appeared in the study. She looked a little disheveled and Klaus frowned. “You’re here early. What is it?”

“A small city on Earth caught fire last night and it burned to the ground. We have about 4000 souls that are on their way here. Charon was kind enough to send a warning. Several of the buildings that burned were orphanages. We have about 1000 children that will need entrance to Paradise immediately.” Elaine smoothed the front of her dress.

Klaus shook his head. “Go get Theodora from the heavens please, I’ll meet you both at the gates.”

Elaine nodded and vanished. Klaus stood and rolled his sleeves down. He snapped his fingers and his jacket was back on. Liz always wondered how he put it on with his wings but it appeared to be magic. His horns and claws disappeared and his teeth and eyes went back to normal. He looked far more approachable this way.

“Would you like to see Paradise?” Klaus asked as he fixed the cuffs of his shirt.

“I would.” Liz nodded and Klaus held out his hand to her. She took it and a jolt went through her. She was surprised by the way her body responded and she blushed.

They disappeared in a puff of smoke. When they landed they were standing in front of a large golden gate. She could see sunlight streaming on the other side of the iron fence and Liz looked at it in wonder.

“How is there light on the other side? I didn’t think there was any sunlight in the underworld.” Liz said.

“Paradise is its own realm. The laws and climates of the underworld don’t apply to it. Think of if it as a different dimension.” Klaus said.

“Who is Theodora?” Liz asked as she watched Klaus approached the gates.

“She is the Goddess of Life. She’s a fellow archangel and she oversees the birth of all the children on Earth and in the heavens. So, whenever a child dies at a young age sometimes she likes to welcome them into Paradise herself. Since we have a large group of children entering the underworld, she’ll want to be here.”

Klaus pulled a dagger from somewhere and slit his palm. He placed his hand on the gates and they swung open. He flexed his hand and the skin healed instantly. Liz looked at him curiously when he glanced back at her. “The gates only open with my blood it keeps out all the demons and monsters in the underworld,” Klaus explained. 

Elaine appeared then a few feet away from them, along with another angel. Theodora was beautiful. She was shorter than Elaine and curvy. Her hair fell in loose chestnut curls down her back and a golden crown sat on top of her head. She was in a bright red dress that matched the crimson wings that were folded behind her. Elaine was saying something to her and both women erupted into a fit of giggles. Liz liked her instantly. 

The two women approached Klaus and Liz. Theodora nodded to Klaus before standing up on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek. Her eyes danced with amusement. “Nikolaus, it’s been weeks since I’ve seen you.” She reached up and patted his cheek with a pale slender hand.

Klaus rolled his eyes and removed her hand from his cheek but he didn’t let go of it. “I’ve been busy Theodora.”

“Council meetings have been so boring without you, though. Elaine and I have had to suffer in silence. Things get so much more lively when you are around. You really know how to ruffle the other angel’s feathers.”  Theodora smiled.

“Glad to know I’m only good for your entertainment.” Klaus smiled.

“Someone has to cut through the routine of immortality.” Theodora shrugged and then she noticed Liz. “Hello, I didn’t mean to ignore you. I’m Theodora and you…are utterly human. What are you doing in the underworld?” Theodora glared at Klaus.

“Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong Theodora,” Klaus warned.

“Klaus and Liz have a bargain,” Elaine explained and Theodora frowned.

“If he ever does anything that you feel needs retribution then just call on me, darling. I’ll grind him to dust.” Theodora’s voice was low now as she turned back to Liz.

“I think I’ll be fine but I’ll keep that in mind. He does have to follow orders after all.” Liz smiled and Theodora returned it. 

“I forgot about that aspect of demons. I would pay money to see you follow any kind of order Nikolaus.” 

“Luckily, Liz has been kind enough not to give me many orders. Please don’t give her ideas.” Klaus snapped.

“I’ll give you a list,” Theodora said to Liz and Klaus sighed.

“Here come the children,” Elaine spoke up and everyone’s attention turned to the path in front of them. A massive group of children was walking and skipping down the path towards them. Amelia was leading them and Vincent was walking with her. He had a little girl up on his shoulders and she was braiding his hair.

A little boy and a little girl were each holding one of Amelia’s hands and Liz noticed Cerberus and a few of the other hellhounds amongst the group. They were carrying a few of the children that were too young to walk on their backs. Cerberus looked like he was having the time of his life.

Amelia stopped the group and spoke softly to Klaus. “1000 souls all under the age of ten. Most died from smoke inhalation and burns. They’ll need to be healed.”

“They have automatic admittance into Paradise.” Klaus nodded and Theodora stepped forward. 

“Okay, I need you all to form three single file lines. Okay? Will the older children assist the younger ones, please? I’m Theodora, that is Nikolaus, and that is Elaine. We’re going to look you over and then you get to go into the gates. Form your lines.” Theodora smiled and the children did as she said.

“Can I touch your wings?” A little girl asked her and Theodora smiled.

“You can if you’re good. If you let us check you over quickly and heal any injuries you have then you can touch our wings as you walk through the gates. Alright?”

The children talked excitedly and Elaine laughed. The first three children stepped forward nervously up to Klaus, Elaine, and Theodora. Each angel waved a hand in front of a child and their injuries vanished. The children smiled and squirmed.

“It tickles.” One of them said. 

“It does,“ Elaine replied and laughed at the child’s surprised expression. “You may go in now.” The child reached out tentatively as they passed her and touched her green feathers. The other two became bolder at the sight and touched Theodora and Klaus’ wings as they passed into the gates. Now the children were excited and the lines began to move quicker.

Randy appeared a moment later with Elias and the two began to pass out treats to the kids waiting. Liz watched the whole thing in utter disbelief.

“Not what you expected?” Amelia spoke next to her.

“Not at all.” Liz laughed. “There are four demons and three angels ushering children into the afterlife with candy. This is not how I pictured it at all.”

Amelia and Liz watched the children and Liz noticed something. “They come into the underworld with their injuries?”

“Yes, but the minute Charon ferries them across the river into this realm their pain vanishes,” Amelia said.

“I would have thought the injuries would go away after death.”

“No, there is a reason for that, though. When someone dies of an injury or illness like burning, for example, their injury stays with them while they go in front of Klaus to be judged. Then if he determines they can enter Paradise he heals them. If they are cast into the fire though their injuries stay with them and their pain returns. They get to experience it for the rest of eternity. It’s supposed to add to their suffering. Until Klaus passes his judgment though the soul feels no pain. So none of the children feel anything right now and children are automatically healed and sent into Paradise.” Amelia explained.

“If you are sent into the fires you experience your cause of death for all eternity.” Liz shivered. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“No one ever said damnation was pleasant.” Amelia shrugged. “Klaus doesn’t sentence people to the fires often and if he does then there is a good reason for it. Believe me, anyone that Klaus doesn’t send to Paradise deserves that pain.”

“Here, let’s help carry the smaller children.” Amelia grabbed Liz’s hand and pulled her towards the group of kids.

Liz watched the lines moving and was taken aback by how gentle Theodora, Klaus, and Elaine were with the children. They knelt down to talk to them and answered any questions they had. The children were completely fascinated by their wings and it made Liz smile.

Cerberus carried a little girl up to Klaus. He sat her down on the ground and the little baby blinked up at Klaus. She couldn’t have been more than 1. She held up her hands and Klaus sighed but picked her up. He healed her burns and the little girl squirmed in his arms at the tickling sensation. 

Klaus sat her on her feet and held her hand as she toddled into Paradise. He turned back around and smiled to himself and shook his head. He caught Liz looking at him and raised an eyebrow in question.

Liz walked up to Klaus and stood next to him. “What are you grinning at Miss Hart?”

“Nothing, who knew underneath all the teeth and claws you were such a giant sap,” Liz grinned at him and Klaus rubbed his forehead.

“I am probably the furthest thing from a sap.” Klaus narrowed his gaze at her.

“Uh huh, says the archangel currently healing a flock of children and you’re letting them touch your wings.” Liz pointed out.

“They wanted to touch our wings and if it makes the process go faster then why wouldn’t I allow it? I have to heal them. It’s part of my job.” 

“Oh just admit that you are a giant softy deep deep _deep_ down.” Liz laughed.

“No,” Klaus growled and walked back up to the line of children.

* * *

A few hours later all the children were taken care of. Klaus closed the gate to Paradise before waving his hand over the door. He spoke a few words in a language that Liz had never heard and the gates locked.

“Thank you for your help Theodora.” Klaus turned to the other archangel.

“I like helping with the children. I watch over their birth into the world I think it’s only fitting if I’m here to help them into the afterlife as well.” Theodora bowed her head to Klaus.

“I owe you.” Klaus turned and held his hand out to Liz. He was getting ready to leave when Theodora spoke again.

“In that case, I have something to ask you.” 

Klaus tensed but turned back to her. “What is it?”

“There is a council meeting in a few hours and I want you to come.”

“No, Elaine can handle it. She’s been doing if for months.” Klaus dropped Liz’s hand and crossed his arms.

“I’m not an archangel Klaus,” Elaine said. “Yes, I am your second and I’m here in case you need me to go to meetings or rule in your absence but you haven’t been to a meeting in weeks. It’s important that you be there.”

“We just received 3,000 extra souls along with our normal influx. I need to get started on judging them.”

“They can wait a few hours,” Theodora replied. “Nikolaus, it’s important you go to this one. The other archangels are trying to push some responsibilities onto you and you already have enough to do. Come to the meeting and make sure it doesn’t happen. Elaine can only fight for you so much but she’s ultimately just a commander. The archangels outrank her.” 

Klaus looked between the two women and growled in frustration. “Fine, who’s trying to push extra work onto me?”

“Isidore, Sebastian, and Dina,” Theodora replied.

“Of course.” Klaus laughed bitterly. “Alright, I’ll be there.”

“Thank you. Raise hell, it’s been too boring up there for too long.” Theodora said. “It was nice to meet you, Liz. I hope we see more of each other.” She winked at Liz and disappeared in a flash of light.

After a moment Klaus glanced at Elaine. “I’m sorry that you’ll have to go up against Sebastian.”

“It won’t be the first or last time it happens. If I didn’t want to be your second then I would stop. It’ll just be a very quiet night at home tonight which is perfectly fine with me. I’ve been meaning to catch up on my reading, if he gives me the cold shoulder then maybe I’ll be able to.” Elaine shrugged and smiled. “I’ll always fight for what’s right though regardless of what my husband thinks.”

“I’ll meet you at the entrance of the palace in two hours and we’ll make the trip.”

Elaine nodded and vanished. Klaus groaned in frustration and held his hand out to Liz again. Liz grabbed it and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“You’ll need to be ready to go in two hours. Wear long pants and a sweater.” Klaus spoke when they appeared in her room.

“Where are we going?” Liz asked.

“You’ll go with me to the heavens. Amelia, Vincent, Randy, and Elias have work to do and I’m not about to leave you alone in the underworld. You would be bored to tears. Unless you would like to stay here?”

“No, I want to see where you and Elias grew up,” Liz grinned. “Who would give up an opportunity to see angels in heaven?”

“Hmm, you might rethink that after you actually visit,” Klaus replied right before he vanished.

* * *

Two hours later Klaus and Elaine came to Liz’s room to fetch her. Klaus opened up a portal to the overworld and the three of them stepped out onto the top of a mountain. They stood there for a moment and admired the view before Klaus stepped up to the edge of the cliff.

He buttoned his coat and pulled his collar up. Klaus nodded to Elaine and suddenly she grabbed Liz around the waist. Before Liz could even ask her what she was doing, Elaine spread her wings and shot into the air.

Liz screamed and clamped her arms around Elaine’s neck. She could’ve sworn she heard Klaus laugh somewhere behind them and Liz buried her face in Elaine’s shoulder.

“Thanks for the warning!” Liz yelled against the wind and Elaine giggled.

“Open your eyes, Liz.”

Liz felt like she was going to vomit but she leaned back and opened her eyes. Her heart stopped but it wasn’t out of fear. 

They were flying through the clouds and the world stretched beneath them. Rivers and mountains cut through the earth and from this height Liz could see it all.

“Wow.” She breathed.

“Beautiful isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Liz nodded and they flew into a thick of clouds. Her view of the earth was cut off and she craned her head in an attempt to see through the fog.

Elaine pulled up and they emerged from the clouds. Sunsplit clouds filled the area around them and they seemed to shine like gold. There was no sound other than the wind whipping past them and Liz savored the untouched sight.

Brooms couldn’t even go this high. This was something that no other human got the opportunity to see. A laugh bubbled up from her and she threw her arms out to feel the breeze as it passed them.

Elaine watched Liz and smiled at the other woman’s joy. She carried them higher towards the direction of her home. 

Klaus broke free of the clouds behind them and soared past them. He looked relaxed as the wind whipped through his hair and he closed his eyes at the warmth of the sunlight. He tucked his wings in tight and plummeted through the clouds before soaring back up again. He looked like he was having fun.

They banked wide around a large cumulonimbus and Klaus and Elaine began flying towards a group of clouds.

“Just through there are the heavens,” Elaine said and Liz looked in the direction she indicated.

Sitting on top of a group of clouds sat an ornate golden gate. Gardens, rivers, and golden waterfalls seemed to stretch for eternity. Several angels were flying around the area and paid Liz, Klaus, and Elaine little attention as they passed. 

The heavens shined bright like a jewel against the golden rays of the sun. It seemed to be contained within a giant fortified wall but Liz couldn’t see the other side of the large city. 

Elaine and Klaus landed outside the gate and Elaine sat Liz on her feet gently. Klaus waved his hand in front of himself and his casual clothes were replaced with a clean white suit. Golden accents shone on the cuffs and collar of the jacket as he adjusted the garment. A crown sat on top of his head made of gold and black diamonds glittered in the sunlight. Etchings of fire, flowers, and thorns were engraved in the metal.

Elaine was in a long dress made of spun gold. Her sleeves and the bottom of her skirt were sheer. It was cut in a deep V in front and a belt of black diamonds hugged her slim waist. Her votum had been hidden but now the metallic necklace shimmered in the sunlight.

She touched Liz’s shoulder and a dress of silver and gold appeared on Liz’s body. It was similar to Elaine’s but Liz’s dress was short sleeved. As Liz looked down at her arms she realized why. The normal cuff that symbolized her bargain to Klaus was gone and in its place were two cuffs made of silver and sapphire, one for each wrist. Her hair fell in loose curls down her back and Liz marveled at the dress.

“I’ll meet you inside.” Elaine nodded to Klaus and squeezed Liz’s arm as she passed.

Klaus came to stand in front of Liz and looked down at her. “When we walk through those gates don’t leave my side unless I leave you with someone I trust. A lot of people in there dislike me and would love to use you to get to me so just be on your guard. Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to. When we go into the meeting, sit down where I tell you and don’t say a word. Understand?”

“Would you like me to beg for a treat as well?” Liz smirked.

“This isn’t a game Liz. You’re about to walk into a realm where the most powerful beings in existence live and they don’t care for me. The only reason I didn’t leave you in the underworld is because it’s just as dangerous there. So please, just listen to what I say.” Klaus sighed.

“Fine,” Liz held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. “You’re lucky I’m extremely curious because that is the only reason I’m promising to behave.”

“Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?” Klaus murmured. He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow. “Let’s go.”

He led her through the gates and Liz marveled at sapphire encrusted roads and the golden houses. Plants made of crystal lined the roads but the faint scent of roses lingered in the air somehow. 

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up.” Klaus and Liz turned to look at the speaker. Standing a few feet away was one of the most beautiful men Liz had ever seen. He was tall and muscular with tanned skin and a bright smile. His long brown hair was pulled back from his face and his blue eyes danced with amusement. He was wearing a suit similar to Klaus’ and wore a crown of gold.

“Phaedon.” Klaus nodded to the man.

“Has Elaine caught you up on what you’ve missed?” Phaedon approached them.

“She has, can I count on your support?”

“Of course, you have enough to do and I think tending to the dead should be your main priority. My husband and I will back you up.” Phaedon noticed Liz then and grabbed her free hand to kiss it. Liz blushed and Phaedon’s grin widened. “Who is this beautiful creature?”

“This is Liz Hart. Liz, this is Archangel Phaedon, he’s the God of Frivolity.” Klaus introduced them.

Phaedon tilted his head and sniffed the air once. “A human? Interesting. I never thought you would be taken with a human, Nikolaus.”

"We aren’t together.”

“I’m not taken with her.”

Liz and Klaus spoke at the same time and then glared at each other.

Phaedon looked the two of them over and shook his head. “Well, then she should stay in the heavens with Spyridon and I. The three of us would have a lot of fun.”

Phaedon winked at Liz and her blush reddened further. “Phaedon.” A low growl of warning rumbled in Klaus’ chest.

“Just a suggestion, love,” Phaedon smirked at Liz. “If you get tired of the underworld just pray for me and I’ll come get you.”

“He wouldn’t do that he just loves to ruffle Nikolaus’ feathers.” Another male approached them and he shook Liz’s hand. “I’m Spyridon, please ignore my husband he’s a shameless flirt.”

Spyridon was just as handsome as Phaedon. His skin was darker than Phaedon’s and his eyes shined like two emeralds. His full lips curved up into an infectious smile that Liz couldn’t help but return.

“It’s nice to meet both of you.” Liz giggled and bowed her head.

“Spyridon is Phaedon’s second in command, he also helps control certain aspects of the weather in the heavens,” Klaus said.

“Yes, so if it ever rains here then it’s probably because he’s displeased with me.” Phaedon laughed. Both men wore votums of pure platinum and they glinted in the sun. “Oh, before I forget, Theodora was looking for you, Nikolaus.”

“Any idea why?”

“Not a clue, we could keep Liz company while you find out, though,” Spyridon said.

“Alright, I’ll be back.” Klaus glanced down at Liz and made his way deeper into the crowd of angels.

“So, what’s the story, Liz? If you aren’t getting any archangel love, then why are you here?” Phaedon asked.

“You don’t have to answer that.” Spyridon glared at Phaedon.

“We have a bargain. He saved me from death a long time ago.”

“Ah, so now you’re tied to him until your unfortunate demise,” Spyridon said.

“Not a bad place to be.” Phaedon winked at her.

“Go easy on Liz, Phaedon. Even I can only tolerate you in moderate doses.” Theodora walked up to them and Liz smiled at her.

“We just sent Nikolaus to look for you.”

“I must have passed him. He’ll be back this way soon so I’ll just wait here. How are you enjoying your first visit to the heavens?” Theodora asked Liz.

“It’s extraordinary,” Liz said. “I can’t really find an accurate word to describe it.”

“It’s almost time for the meeting, we had better head towards the council room. Nikolaus can meet us there.” Spyridon spoke up.

“So, what typically happens in a council meeting?” Liz asked.

“We discuss any issues that we’re having here in heaven or things that are happening on earth. This is just our chance to be in the same room together and hash out our problems. Most meetings are pretty uneventful but this one will be heated, I can tell.” Phaedon said.

“I’ll bet you a bag of gold that Isidore and Elaine fight,” Spyridon said.

“I’ll take that bet.” Theodora laughed.

“Who is Isidore?” Liz asked.

“Archangel Isidore is the God of War. He’s a prick and he hates that Nikolaus has turned over a lot of his power to Elaine, he feels if Nikolaus isn’t going to bother with attending council meetings then he should give up his power.” Phaedon said.

“Nikolaus doesn’t have time though because the other archangels keep piling work on him.” Spyridon rolled his eyes. “Isidore just doesn’t like dealing with Elaine because she’s technically beneath him but she treats him how she treats everyone.”

They approached a set of large white and obsidian doors. There were several angels gathered in front of them, some were wearing crowns and Liz figured they were other archangels.

Elaine was standing off to the side of the entry way with someone who could only be Klaus’ older brother. Liz could see similarities between them but Sebastian was taller and his hair was longer. Liz knew it was him though because five angry scars ran down the side of his face and neck. Liz remembered Elias’ words.

_“Then he turned on Sebastian and took one of his eyes. Scarred him up pretty bad too.”_

Elias wasn’t exaggerating. The cuts ran from above Sebastian’s ear down to the front of his neck. they only stopped when they reached the gold votum around his neck. One of his eyes was the same color as Klaus’ but the other was scarred and a milky white color. One of the cuts went across his lips and under his nose. It looked like Klaus had spread his fingers wide when he had swiped his claws across his brother’s face.

Despite that though Sebastian was still handsome. He was smiling down at Elaine and she had one of her arms around his waist. They really seemed like they were in love.

Klaus appeared in the crowd then and walked up to them. Liz reached for his hand and squeezed it. Klaus sent her a questioning glance at the gesture but didn’t let go.

A chiming sound filled the room and the doors opened in front of them. The group of people that had been waiting filed into the room. Elaine broke away from Sebastian and walked up to Klaus. Sebastian glared at his brother but neither Elaine nor Klaus paid him any mind.

They walked into a large room with a round table. A glittering chandelier was suspended in the air by magic because there was no ceiling to the room. Klaus and Elaine made their way over to a set of chairs and stood behind them. There was a chair against the wall and Klaus pointed to it.

“Remember, not a word.” He hissed in Liz’s ear and his breath against her skin made her shiver.

“I know, I know,” Liz whispered and went to go sit down.

Angels stood behind the chairs around the table. There were twenty-two of them including Klaus and Elaine. Eleven of them wore crowns and the rest didn’t. These were the archangels and their seconds.

A tall blond woman spoke up. “I am the scribe of heaven, Moira and I call the meeting to order. State your names and ranks.”

She removed a gold ring from her right hand and sat it on the table. The man next to her spoke up next.

“I am Isidore, God of War, overseer of battles and soldiers.”

“I am Joseph, God of Nature, I am the protector of the animals and plants of the earth.”

“I am Karina, Goddess of Wisdom. I inflict knowledge, insight, and strategy.”

“I am Stavros, God of Prosperity. I bring wealth and riches to the blessed.”

“I am Sebastian, God of the Sky. I assist the sun in rising and setting so that it may warm the earth.”

“I am Phaedon, God of Frivolity. I oversee the joy and happiness of the earth.”

“I am Nikolaus, God of the Underworld, keeper of the dead and bringer of vengeance, anger, and passion.”

“I am Theodora, Goddess of Life. I bring children into the world and oversee the health of the heavens and humans.”

“I am Ari, God of Love. I judge in the courts and help bring about the seasons. I act as cupid to the humans of the earth.”

“I am Dina, Goddess of the Sea. I rule the oceans and protect marine life and sailors.” 

“I am Charis, God of Art. I bring inspiration and invention.”

Every single one of them placed a ring on the table and Moira spoke again. “I acknowledge your presence and right to speak. Be seated Archangels.”

They all sat around the table and the angel who had introduced himself as Joseph spoke up.

“Nikolaus, it’s been several weeks since you’ve graced us with your presence.”

“How is the hunt for the Seraphim going?” Ari asked.

Klaus sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Good, My commanders and I are doing our best to eliminate them but it will take time.”

“You should add Banshees to the list. They’re becoming a problem in the East.” Isidore said.

“I think someone else should handle them,” Elaine said. “Nikolaus already has enough on his plate.”

“Well, maybe if your master bothered to show up for meetings then he could plead his case.” Isidore glared at her.

“Watch your tongue, Isidore.” Sebastian snapped from across the table. He was already rising to his feet.

Elaine held up her hand and Sebastian stilled before sinking back into his chair. “No one is my master Isidore. Next time you address me with such disrespect then I will happily rip your throat out. You may be the Archangel of War but I am just as deadly.” Isidore bared his fangs at her and Elaine snarled in response.

“Someone has to deal with the Banshee’s, the underworld is already working on the Seraphim let them take out the Banshee’s as well,” Dina said.

“The Banshee’s are in _your_ territory, Dina. Why don’t you take care of it.” Klaus replied.

“You seem to think you can neglect meetings and other duties, Nikolaus. You must have time to spare in that case.” Isidore said.

“The reason I skip meetings and other pointless tasks is because I’m on the surface hunting. It takes legions of angels to take on Seraphim and only archangels can kill them. I am one man. If some of you wanted to join me then the hunt would go a lot faster. _Maybe_ then I could help with the Banshee’s.” Klaus said.

“I was under the impression that dealing with the dark creatures on the earth fell in your jurisdiction, Nikolaus,” Sebastian said.

“That’s a good point, Sebastian,” Dina said. “That is in your job description.”

Liz sat behind Klaus in utter disbelief. Did they really expect him to take on more work on top of his other duties? Did they even know what he did on a day to day basis?

“I’m sorry, I’m confused.” Liz found herself speaking up and Klaus stiffened in front of her. Normally she would never speak up out of fear but she had a bargain with the king of the underworld and slept next to a hell hound every night. Fear had left her long ago.

“This is not your place to speak human.” Dina glared at her.

“I acknowledge the human” Moira said and all the angels looked at her in disbelief. Phaedon and Theodora were both trying to contain their laughter. “Speak, little one.”

“I know that I have no idea of how the heavens work but I do know a little about the underworld. So, correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t Klaus responsible for judging every single soul that dies. Last time I checked that was around 150,000 people a day. As far as I know he’s the only one that can judge people except maybe Elaine, who has a life outside of the underworld. He’s responsible for tending the garden of souls for the living. He deals with constant demon uprisings, he answers prayers that are prayed to him. On top of all this, he hunts the Seraphim and you all want him to add another task to that extensive list? What are you doing with your day that has you so busy you can’t handle the Banshee’s?” Liz asked.

Phaedon was laughing out loud now and even Elaine was trying not to giggle. Sebastian drummed his fingers against the table in irritation. “Well, I see why my brother is fond of you. Anyone who is bold enough to back talk a room of archangels should be able to handle Nikolaus without a problem.”

“Oh, he’s a delight compared to most of you.” Liz smiled.

“Enough, Miss Hart,” Klaus growled at her and Liz glared at his back. “I won’t take care of the Banshee’s if you want it dealt with then do it yourselves.”

“Let’s put it to a vote then,” Isidore said.

“Fine with me,” Klaus smirked.

“All in favor of Nikolaus hunting the Banshee’s, raise your hand,” Moira said.

Sebastian, Isidore, Dina and a few of the seconds raised their hands. Moira counted them and smiled to herself. “The vote loses. We’ll find another solution.”

* * *

The meeting lasted another two hours and the tension in the room didn’t go away. Tempers flared and Phaedon ended having to hold Isidore and Elaine apart when they went at each other’s throats. Spyridon and Theodora both slipped him a bag of gold because they lost the bet and Phaedon smiled.

Isidore finally backed down after Sebastian lost his temper and pulled a dagger on the other angel. There was a lot of gnashing of teeth and snarling before the two finally calmed down and Isidore apologized to Elaine.

Klaus had leaned back in his chair and was rubbing his forehead and several of the other archangels looked just as frustrated as he did.

Finally, Moira called an end to the meeting and the room emptied. Elaine gave Liz a quick hug before walking after Sebastian who was waiting for her at the door. 

Phaedon, Spyridon, and Theodora bid Liz and Klaus a quick goodbye before Klaus grabbed Liz and dove off the nearest cloud. They plummeted through the dark sky before Klaus spread his wings and leveled them out. 

He was tense and Liz didn’t dare try to talk to him. He was probably mad at her for speaking her mind in the meeting and she didn’t want to deal with his wrath tonight.

She yawned and buried her face into his shoulder as they flew. 

She dozed off and only woke back up again when they entered the underworld. Klaus teleported them to her room and set her down gently on her feet.

“I’m sorry for speaking up. It wasn’t fair what they were trying to do to you, though.”

Klaus sighed and ran his hand through his windswept hair. “Life isn’t fair and that’s generally how those meetings go.”

“It’s still not right,” Liz argued and Klaus shrugged. Liz yawned again and a small smile tugged at Klaus’ lips.

“Good night, Miss Hart.” Klaus turned to go before changing his mind. He leaned forward towards Liz and she froze.

His breath was warm against her cheek and she shivered. He pressed his lips to her cheek and Liz felt like she was on fire. Klaus pulled away and turned to leave the room.

“Thank you for standing up for me.”

Liz didn’t even get a chance to reply before he was out the door. Liz gaped at his retreating figure and was still staring at the doors when Cerberus bounded into the room.

He nudged her hand with his nose to get her attention and Liz looked down at him. She was not prepared for how Klaus’ lips against her skin made her feel and she admitted to herself that she might be developing feelings for him. Whether they were just physical or something more she wasn’t sure.

“Oh, Cerberus. I am in so much trouble.”


	8. Chapter 7

Randy tapped his foot impatiently as he leaned back against the couch in the Prefects office. It was quiet and most students had gone to the dorm hours ago. Klaus had finished up his lesson with Liz and had dragged Randy back to the main building to get some work done.

A stack of paperwork sat in his lap and he glared down at it. Usually, he would just wave a hand and the work would be done. He needed to conserve his magic for later tonight so that wasn’t an option.

He glanced over at Klaus who was sitting across from him. He had been watching Klaus closely the past week. Something had changed in the other man. He seemed more at ease and Randy knew why. It was because of Liz.

He didn’t think there was anything going on between the two of them. At least not yet but Randy thought they would be nice together.

“You know I heard a few guys have asked Liz to the dance.”

Klaus tensed for one second before he looked up from his work. “Well, Liz is pretty. I would be surprised if no one asked her.”

“I would think you would have wanted to go with her,” Randy said. Klaus put the papers in his hand down on the desk and leaned back in his chair.

“Why would you think that? Unless her date puts her in immediate danger, which wouldn’t happen, then I have no reason to intervene.” Klaus said.

“No reason to intervene? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Klaus furrowed his eyebrows at Randy’s question and the other man sighed.

“Alright, fine.” Randy would wait and bring up Liz another time maybe later tonight, if he remembered. 

He was ready to leave the academy. He waved his hand over the stack of papers on the desk and they moved into a neat pile. He decided he could use a little bit of magic if it meant getting out of this room quicker. “The work is done.”

“Getting cabin fever?” Klaus smirked at him.

“Yes, I am and I know you are too. Let’s go hunting and get out of these constricting forms for a few hours. Are you coming or not?”

“I am, I’ve been wanting to shed this prison of flesh for days now.” Klaus flashed a fanged smile at Randy and his eyes slowly shifted from violet to black. “Call everyone and have them meet us deep in the woods. We can’t take the risk of shifting so close to the academy.”

* * *

Liz was fast asleep when she was suddenly aware of something moving next to her. She woke up to see Cerberus rising to his feet.

“Where are you off to?” Liz yawned.

Cerberus let out an excited bark and a low whistle echoed through the room.

“Oh, is someone calling you?” Cerberus nodded and Liz got up. “Can I come with you?”

The hound seemed to think for a moment and shook his large head back and forth.

“No? Why?”

Cerberus narrowed his eyes at Liz but she ignored him. She slipped her boots on and grabbed her jacket. Cerberus howled and a portal appeared in the room. He ran towards the portal and Liz followed behind him. He turned and gave her a low warning growl and Liz took a step back. When he was satisfied she wasn’t following him Cerberus bounded forward through the portal. Before it could close though Liz slipped in behind him.

They landed in a field and Cerberus turned on her and snarled. Liz noticed Elias and Amelia standing several feet away. In front of them, two giant beasts were wrestling in the grass. Elias heard Cerberus growl at Liz and turned to face them. His eyes widened when he noticed her and he stormed towards them.

“Have you lost your senses?” He hissed when he got close. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard Cerberus get summoned and decided to follow.”

Elias looked back at the hound. Cerberus gave him an unimpressed look before trotting over to the two beasts and pouncing on them. Liz took a closer look at them then and her eyes widened. One was large and muscular and was covered in crimson colored hair. Its eyes were black and it bared its fangs at the smaller beast that was running circles around it. The smaller one had white fur with stripes of pink running through the thick pelt. Each of them had long claws on their paws that scraped at the dirt. Liz couldn’t really think of a way to describe them, lupine seemed wrong. They were nothing like werewolves or Cerberus; they were something she had never seen before.

“Is…is that Vincent and Randy?” Liz asked in disbelief. They towered over Cerberus and were even able to stand on their hind legs with ease. They had to be at least eight or nine feet tall.

“Yes, and you should not be here.” Elias grabbed her elbow and began to drag Liz from the clearing. Liz felt the pull of teleportation but before Elias activated the spell she noticed movement at the edge of the trees.

Another beast emerged from the woods but this one looked different than Vincent and Randy. Darkness spread through the clearing as it walked into the light of the moon. It was enormous and was coated in lustrous gray hair. Its torso was bare and rippled with dense muscle all the way up to the broad shoulders, from which sprouted enormous, black, feathered wings. It walked on hind legs that almost looked like they belonged on a horse or a goat, except for the sharp talons that protruded from the long feet. Glowing violet eyes pierced the darkness and Liz could just catch a glimpse of gleaming white fangs. Elegant horns twisted from the top of its head and from behind the creature emerged a long scaled tail.

It snarled at Vincent and Randy and they stopped their fighting and separated. It raised its nose to the air and sniffed before its head whipped around to stare at Liz.

“Time for us to leave,” Elias said quickly. They disappeared and reappeared in Liz’s room.

“That was Klaus wasn’t it?!” Liz demanded and Elias nodded.

“Yes, and I need to get back. Amelia won’t want to handle them alone. They’re hard to manage when they’re like that. Ask your questions tomorrow. I’ve got to go.” Elias disappeared and Liz gaped at the space where he had been standing.

Well, this was certainly something she hadn’t expected.

* * *

_She was running through the woods but the trees were moving far too quickly, her strides were far too large. Then she caught a glimpse of her feet as they stretched out in front of her. Black talons glinted in the moonlight and Liz recognized the long feet and powerful legs that appeared in her line of sight._

_She was seeing the woods through Klaus’ eyes._

_Shadows flanked him and Randy and Vincent appeared in their beast forms. They ran along side of him. A loud howling echoed through the forest and it got their attention._

_Her sight blurred when Klaus turned his head to the sky._

_The three of them skidded to a halt and changed direction as the howling continued._

_There was a break in the trees and Klaus hurled himself through it. There were about fifty Seraphim she could see now and they scattered at the appearance of Klaus, Randy, and Vincent. As they tried to escape, though Cerberus, Amelia, and Elias appeared behind them trapping them._

_The fear of the Seraphim was evident in their expressions but they didn’t have any time to react further before Klaus was lunging at them. Powerful jaws clamped around the nearest Seraphim’s throat and ripped it out._

_She could almost taste the blood of the creature as it ran down his throat and he seemed to revel in it. Then he lunged for the second one._

Liz ripped herself from her dream and tried to catch her breath. Cerberus wasn’t there to comfort her and her racing heart. Hours passed as she lay in bed, but she was unable to go back to sleep. She wanted to know everything about demons now. Did Elias and Amelia have forms like that? What did they look like? Could they change into those forms at any time? Did they like it? Klaus had certainly seemed to enjoy it in her vision. It was so easy for Liz to forget that none of them were human but this was a reminder of what lurked beneath their flesh.

She had given up trying to close her eyes and walked to her desk so she could write her questions down. A portal suddenly opened on the other side of the room and Cerberus trotted through it. It didn’t close immediately, though, and Klaus stepped into Liz’s dorm room.

He was back to normal for the most part. His eyes were still black and his talons were out, but it was the most relaxed Liz had ever seen him. His hair was a mess and there was blood on the side of his neck, it ran under the open collar of his shirt and Liz stood to her feet.

“Are you hurt?”

Klaus looked down at himself for a minute and cleared his throat. “No, that’s not my blood. We found a pack of Seraphim and took them out.”

Liz frowned and sat back down at her desk. “Why are you here then?”

“Well, you saw some things tonight and Elias wanted me to make sure you were fine.” Klaus crossed his arms across his chest. “Things you _shouldn’t_ have seen, if I might add. You should _never_ follow Cerberus when I call him.

Liz winced at his tone, but she was so curious. “Was that your natural form?”

Klaus tilted his head. “Yes and no.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

He smiled and unfolded his arms and motioned to his body. “I have an angel form and a demon form. The angel form is what you see every day. It has wings, talons, horns, and the black eyes. All archangels have these traits that we can hide and use whenever we wish. The form you saw tonight is something only demons have. It’s the form they use when they aren’t interacting with humans. So, angels have basically one form they can hide aspects of, but demons have two that they can switch between. One that looks human and one that is pure demon. When I took my oath and was bound to the underworld demon blood mixed with the angel blood in my veins. I can switch between the two forms.”

“Can you do it at will or is there only certain times you can switch?” Liz asked.

“I can do it anytime I want. That’s the form I fight demons in and the form I hunt Seraphim in. When we saved you and Elias that day in the clearing Vincent and I had been in our demon forms. We switched before we intervened because we didn’t want to frighten you further.” Klaus smiled.

“Is it hard to switch?”

“It is and it takes its toll on us even after it’s over,” Klaus said.

“You seem fine.” Liz pointed out and Klaus smiled.

“I’m doing a good job at hiding it, but I’m not. I’m exhausted and hungry and my instincts are heightened exponentially right now. I’m very antsy and that form has stimulating effects on the brain. It reduces my reasoning functions and releases dopamine.”

“So, basically you’re drunk?” Liz laughed and Klaus rolled his eyes.

“In a way, I guess.” he shrugged and looked around the room. He picked up little things and inspected them as he walked. He came to stand in front of Liz but she didn’t flinch away from him even after seeing him for what he was. She didn’t know why it didn’t frighten her but she wasn’t intimidated by him.

“Do Elias and Amelia have demon forms as well? Why weren’t they using them?”

“Two of us always stay in our human-looking forms. When we’re in those other forms all of our primal instincts come rushing to the surface and our reasoning gets pushed down. If we all transformed into our demon forms we could accidentally cause destruction and not even realize it until we transformed back. Amelia usually stays in her human form. She’s not fond of her beast form at all. Elias, Serge, and Vincent switch off on transforming.”

“Why? I liked the beast forms, especially yours. They’re interesting.” Liz grinned and Klaus blinked at her. Then to her surprise, a blush rose on his cheeks.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” His voice was low.

Suddenly Klaus sniffed the air and whatever Liz had been about to say was caught in her throat. His eyes roamed over her before he leaned forward and ran his nose up the side of her neck. Liz stiffened for just a second before baring her neck to him. His fangs grazed the tender flesh of her throat and Liz’s breath hitched at the sensation.

Klaus seemed to realize what he was doing and immediately stepped back from her. “I should go. I’m not exactly myself right now and I don’t want to do something I’ll regret.”

Liz swallowed and thought about the kiss on the cheek he had given her a few days ago, she thought about her dream with him kneeling between her legs, and now the feeling of his teeth against her throat.

“You could stay?”

Klaus scoffed and shook his head. “That really is not a good idea, Miss Hart. When I take lovers they are casual. I don’t think you and I could just be casual and I don’t think you could keep up with me.”

“Well someone is very sure of himself.” Liz swallowed.

A portal opened in the room again and Amelia stepped through. She grabbed Klaus by the back of his shirt collar and hauled him backward. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just checking on Liz.” Klaus glared at his commander and Amelia released him.

“You should have sent me to check. Please go back to the underworld until you’re back to normal.” Amelia asked and Klaus smirked.

“I was just leaving. No need to be so protective, Amelia.” Klaus stepped through the portal and Amelia rolled her eyes. She turned to Cerberus and patted his head.

“If your master is stupid enough to come back here, then you send him back to the underworld. Understood?”

Cerberus gave her a firm nod and wagged his tail. He trotted over to Liz’s bed and laid down next to it.

“Good boy.” Amelia grinned and turned to Liz. “I’ll be back in the morning. I have to get back to the underworld. Klaus is pretty well behaved after a transformation but Randy and Vincent are a handful. I swear it’s like looking after two young adults who just got drunk for the first time.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Liz returned the smile and Amelia vanished. She fell into bed and tried to calm her racing heart. There were still several hours before school started and some shut eye wouldn’t hurt. Cerberus laid his head across her back and soon she was fast asleep.

* * *

Liz was aware of someone shaking her awake and she groaned into her pillow.

“Come on Liz. You’re going to be late if you don’t get up.” 

Amelia’s face swam into view and Liz sat up. She hadn’t slept well. Large vicious beasts had consumed her dreams; beasts fighting with one another and hunting Seraphim. She shook her head and slipped out of bed to get dressed.

Amelia braided her hair and Liz looked at her in the mirror. “How did last night go?”

Amelia scoffed and shook her head. “They were a handful. Randy likes to challenge Vincent when he’s in his demon form, it’s the only time he can take him and win. So, they are constantly fighting which puts Klaus on edge and Klaus is not very friendly in his demon form. So, Elias and I had to keep Vincent and Randy separated or Klaus would lose what little patience he had. We found a large pack of Seraphim and Klaus, Randy, and Vincent took them out quickly.”

Liz had already known that because it was becoming glaringly obvious that the dreams she was having were glimpses into the future.

Amelia finished Liz’s hair and they made their way out of their room. Liz thought about the dreams she had the previous night. It made her uneasy, she couldn’t tell which dreams were visions of the future and which ones were just dreams anymore.

The vision she had of Klaus between her legs flashed through her mind and she shivered. 

When they walked outside Vincent was waiting on them. Amelia raised up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. He smiled down at her and rested his forehead against hers. 

He looked incredibly at ease and he grinned at Liz after he pulled himself away from Amelia.

“You’re in a good mood.”

“I always feel better after a transformation. It’s freeing.” Vincent shrugged and put his arm around Amelia’s shoulder as they walked.

“So, what did Klaus say when he saw you last night?” Amelia asked Liz.

“Nothing much, I asked him some questions about what I saw in the clearing. I told him I liked his beast form and he told me I shouldn’t have said that. What did he mean by that?” Liz asked.

Vincent threw his head back and laughed loudly. Amelia elbowed him in the ribs and sighed. “Our demon form is our strongest form. It’s the form we fight in-”

“And the form we fu-” Vincent interrupted Amelia but she slapped her hand over his mouth, muffling his words.

“What my husband was going to say, so indelicately,” Amelia glared at him. “Is that our demon for is our most private and primal form. We only show it to people we trust.”

“So, when you told Klaus you liked his beast form, you basically told him that you think he looks good naked.” Vincent chuckled.

Liz gaped at them. “How would I have known that?”

“You didn’t which is why Klaus told you that you shouldn’t have said it,” Amelia said and Liz buried her face in her hands.

“Did you like my beast form?” Vincent winked at her and Amelia slapped his chest.

“Don’t ask her things like that.” Amelia rolled her eyes.

“Good news is, he probably doesn’t even remember it,” Vincent said. “I know I don’t remember most of last night.”

He kissed the top of Amelia’s head and removed his arm from her. “I’ve got to go help Randy and Klaus, apparently the Professors consider me a Prefect. Klaus is using that technicality as an excuse to force me to help them make the final preparations for this dance. I’ll see you later at the event, now that I’m being forced to go.”

“You get to hold me close while we dance. I’ll wear a very beautiful dress and then later you get to take me home.” Amelia winked at him and Vincent shook his head.

“Well, now I’m looking forward it.”

Liz and Amelia watched him walk away and Amelia turned back to face her friend. 

“You two are so cute. I think I’m getting a cavity.”

“Ha ha.” Amelia laughed dryly and turned to walk to her classroom. “Meet me in the dorm after class and we’ll get dressed. You won’t have a lesson with Klaus today because he’ll be busy.”

“Sounds like fun.” Liz began to walk to her class and almost ran right into Klaus. He glanced down at her and crossed his arms. He did not look pleased.

“What have I possibly done this early in the morning that displeases you?” Liz asked innocently and Klaus sighed.

“You shouldn’t have been in that clearing last night.”

“You and I have already had this conversation.” Liz pointed out and stepped past him. He caught up with her and gently grabbed her elbow, stopping her.

“What do you mean?”

“When Cerberus came back to my room last night, you came with him. You scolded me and you explained demon forms to me.” Liz blushed and Klaus raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t remember any of that. Why are you blushing?”

“No reason,” Liz said quickly. He narrowed his eyes at her and Liz sighed. “I told you I thought your demon form was interesting and then you proceeded to run your fangs up my neck.”

Klaus blinked at her for just a second in disbelief and then he smirked. “Oh really? It’s a shame I can’t remember that. So you like my demon form?”

“I said it was interesting I didn’t say I liked it.” Liz corrected and Klaus’ smirk widened.

“You do like it, though.” Klaus guessed and Liz blushed further. 

“I don’t know what is running through your mind right now but I’m leaving. All I said was that it was cool.” Liz went to walk away but stopped. “Will I see you tonight at the dance?”

“Unfortunately,” Klaus replied. “I’m helping run it.”

“Save me a dance,” Liz grinned at him and headed off in the direction of her class.

* * *

Later that evening, Vincent, Klaus, and Randy stood at the edge of the dance floor and watched the students move around it. Vincent took a flask from the inside of his jacket pocket and took a swig.

“What is that?” Klaus asked him and nodded to his hand.

“Scotch.” Vincent grinned at him.

“Gimme.” Randy held out a hand and Vincent passed it to him. He took a swig and shook his head. “Gods, that’s terrible but it does the trick. Next time bring something that tastes better.”

“Or you could just bring your own,” Klaus said. He unbuttoned his jacket and pulled out his own flask to show Randy.

“Why did neither of you tell me you were doing this? I would’ve brought my own.” Randy grumbled.

“I always bring one to formal events. How do you think I survive functions in the heavens?” Klaus smirked at Randy and put his flask away.

“Well, what do you have in yours?” Randy asked.

“Rum,” Klaus answered.

Suddenly Vincent grabbed his harm. “Holy hell, would you look at that.”

Klaus frowned down at his arm where Vincent was gripping it. Vincent released him and gestured to the door. Klaus followed Vincent’s gaze to the top of the stairs and his heart stopped.

Liz and Amelia stood at the entrance to the room. They were talking to each other excitedly and Liz threw her head back and laughed at something Amelia said. She unconsciously smoothed the fabric of her dress and took a deep breath. One of the straps of her green satin dress fell from her shoulders and revealed the expanse of her collarbone and neck. The fabric hugged her waist before falling down her legs like a waterfall of silk. A slit ran up one side of her skirt revealing parts of her thigh as she walked.

Vincent was already making his way to Amelia and Klaus found himself following his lead.

“Leave your flask!” Randy exclaimed. Klaus sighed and slapped it into his palm before walking towards Liz. Another student was making his way over to her but moved away quickly when Klaus glared at him.  

Liz noticed his approach and beamed at him. She did a little twirl so she could show off her dress to him. “What do you think?”

Klaus offered his elbow to her and she curled her hand around his arm. She leaned into him as they walked and he fought the urge to bury his nose in her hair. She smelled like citrus and spice and he wished he could breathe her in forever.

“I think you look extremely tempting.”

“Mmmm, maybe you should recruit me to be a demon then, I could deceive and tempt men and women into so many bargains.” Liz winked at him.

“Oh, I think it would be horrible of me to unleash you on the world. No one would stand a chance.” Klaus laughed.

“Perhaps.” Liz laughed.

“I think you asked me to save you a dance,” Klaus said. Liz nodded and stepped towards him.

He held his hand out to her and she took it. Klaus pulled her close and slid his arm around her waist. Liz leaned into him and Klaus began to whirl her around the dance floor expertly.

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

“I’m sure there is,” Klaus replied and Liz shook her head in exasperation. “I just haven’t found it yet.”

“So, modest.” Liz snorted. She slid her hand up his shoulder when suddenly, the familiar tug of a vision caught her attention.

_She was in a dimly lit room. Curtains wafted in front of enormous floor to ceiling windows. She could see the dark expanse of the underworld stretched out in front of the open panes. The vision finally focused on her laid out on a large bed with Cerberus curled around her._

_Silver wings stretched from her back and glittered in the lamplight. Cerberus raised his head from where he had it rested across her waist and growled at the shadows moving in the corner. Klaus stepped out from them and brought his finger to his lips in a gesture to tell the dog to be quiet._

_Cerberus instantly relaxed and began to wag his tail at the sight of his master. Klaus scratched the hound behind the ears. “Be quiet Cerberus or you’ll wake her.”_

_“Too late,” Liz replied and turned to face Klaus. The swell of her stomach was evident now in the light and Klaus placed his hand on her abdomen reverently._

_“How are you feeling?” Klaus sat down on the bed next to her._

_“Fine. It won’t be much longer now.” Liz rested her head on his leg. “The contractions are coming faster. I’m ready to meet our child.”_

_“I’m here now and a healer is on the way.” Klaus ran a hand through her hair and Liz closed her eyes at his gentle touch._

The vision fell away then and Liz was back at the academy. She shook her head to clear her mind and pushed it to the back of her mind. She would think about it later when she was in her room and could freak out in peace. She looked back at Klaus and his eyes were wide. Any trace of the humor that had been in his expression was gone.

“Did…did you see that?” Liz asked quietly. Klaus didn’t reply instead he grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her off of the dance floor. He found a secluded alcove and pulled her into it.

“What the hell was that?” he demanded. 

“I’ve been having these visions of the future since I came back from my first visit to the underworld. It started out as small things like Elias dropping his teacup, or the answers to a test, but lately, I’ve been seeing things that aren’t possible. Like, visions where I have wings or visions of you and I… _together_. I saw you hunting Seraphim last night.” Liz paused. “That was the first vision I ever had like _that_ , though.”

“What, where you were pregnant with my child?” Klaus hissed. He released her arm and ran a hand through his hair. “This started after your trip to the underworld?”

“Yes, did you do something to me?” Liz demanded. She knew she was pushing blame onto him but she was becoming defensive. These visions were hard enough to figure out without the added aspect of Klaus knowing about them. Also, she had never thought about it but what if Klaus had performed some sort of magic on her. He had the ability of the gods he could do anything.

“Are you accusing me of tampering with your mind? Why would I do that?” He had gone deathly still.

“I don’t know. Maybe because you are half demon and half angel. Don’t you all delight in torment? Maybe you are enjoying playing around in my head.” Liz said.

“Well, I’m glad you think so highly of me Miss Hart.” Klaus took a step away from her.

“You are the king of the underworld Klaus.” Liz glared at him.

“And here I was under the impression that you and I were actually becoming friends. Well if it’s any consolation, I’m not messing with your head. Though I have an idea who is.” He said. “I think it’s best if we limit our interactions from now on. Since your so convinced I’m such a monster then Vincent, Randy, or Elias can give you lessons from now on.”

“Klaus that’s not what I meant, exactly,” Liz said.

He didn’t give her a chance to finish before he suddenly vanished.

“Oh no,” Liz laughed bitterly. “You don’t just get to disappear in the middle of an argument, especially since I have so many questions. Come back here, that’s an order.”

Klaus appeared in front of her and he was seething. She ignored his blazing expression though and took a step towards him. “If you aren’t responsible for these visions then who is?”

“The fates are the only ones capable of showing the future. I was just about to go see them but you commanded me to come back.” Klaus said. His voice was like ice.

“I want to see them. Take me with you, please?”

“No.” Klaus laughed humorlessly. “Now, can I go? I have work to do.”

“You can go if you take me with you.” Liz crossed her arms across her chest and Klaus snarled at her. “Growl at me, bare your fangs, I don’t care. This involves me too. Take me with you or you can stand in this alcove all night for all I care.”

“Fine.” Klaus grabbed her arm and opened a portal. He dragged her through it and when they reappeared they were standing on the side of a mountain. The harsh wind and snow swirled around them and Klaus touched Liz’s shoulder.

Her dress disappeared and was replaced by thick pants, a sweater, boots, and a large fur coat. She pulled her hood up to block the wind from her face. 

“Where are we?” She had to yell to be heard over the wind.

“In the underworld. The fates reside right up there. I can’t teleport to it so we’ll have to walk. I can’t fly in this wind.”

Klaus was now dressed in black armor. It was the same he had been wearing the day Liz’s visions had started; after he had come back from killing demons. Even in the haze of snow Liz could see scrapes along the rough metal. Two double bladed swords were strapped at his waist. He adjusted his gauntlets and a hidden blade slipped from them. He squeezed his palm and it slid back into place.

“Let’s go. No demons should be stupid enough to follow me up here but if I tell you to get down or to run, then do it.” He grabbed her hand and Liz looked up at him in question. “Just so we don’t get separated.”

They spent one hour hiking up the mountain in the freezing rain. Liz’s teeth were chattering because of the cold wind and she pulled her coat tighter around herself. 

Finally, a large dark building came into view. It looked like a cathedral and Liz wondered at the ornate architecture. Three large arched windows stretched over the front of the structure, flying buttresses lined the sides of the building, and pointed spires pierced the gloom of the sky.

Klaus threw open two thick double doors and stormed into the room. The ribbed vault was long and at the end of the room sat three thrones. 

A figure sat on each one. They were covered in sheer black veils. Crowns made of thorns and flowers sat on their heads. Klaus paused at the steps to the dais and crossed his arms impatiently.

“Approach, Archangel of the Underworld. We were wondering when you would come visit us. So many rulers before you have begged for our insight and knowledge. You are the first one not to seek us out.”

“I make my own destiny. I don’t need to know what is coming because I control it. Those other rulers were fools.” Klaus scoffed.

“Yet here you are.” One of them gestured to him with a long skeletal hand. “And you brought the Lady of the Underworld with you.”

Both Klaus and Liz stiffened at the title. “I am no such person.” Liz shook her head. “I’m just a witch. That’s all. Klaus and I have a bargain that binds me to him. I’m his prey.”

“Oh, my dear girl you are so much more than that.” One of them said. They gestured to Liz and Klaus’ joined hands and they immediately released each other.

“We see you, Nikolaus, all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will be. Don’t pretend that the visions we’ve been sending the girl don’t appeal to you. We _know_ they do. You crave that future, that stability, you crave _her_.”

“It’s not possible!” Klaus’ raised voice boomed through the room and he gestured to Liz. Whatever the fates were about to say were silenced at the sound of his anger. “She is human. I will outlive her. I will watch her and this earth decay. I will bury her and then I will have to continue on. There will be no wings for her, no children, we are not compatible for that. She will resent a man that will never age, while she’s bound to a dead realm!”

He was breathing hard and his eyes had gone black. “It doesn’t matter what I want because it can’t happen.”

“So you’ll settle for watching her live a life with someone else if she chooses?” One of the fates asked.

“Yes, and when she leaves the earth I will be waiting for her soul in the underworld because it is mine,” Klaus said.

“What do you have to say about this Elizabeth Hart?”

Klaus whipped around to look at Liz. Their eyes locked and for just a moment he could see that future and see all the things it could entail. She would be powerful, a force that would be able to keep up with him. Someone to match his power and call him to heel when he needed to be subdued. Someone who was his equal. 

His hand seemed to burn at the lack of her touch now and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and grab her hand again. He wouldn’t allow himself to do that though because he didn’t know what she wanted. Could she see what she was capable of? 

So instead of reaching for her, he waited for her to speak.

“It’s a lot to process and think about. I like Klaus but we’re still getting to know each other. Now, it seems that if a relationship ever evolved between us it would be because of fate. Not because it was something we wanted.”

Klaus nodded in agreement but Liz continued. “It wouldn’t be a bad future though and I would be lying if I said it didn’t appeal to me. I know that my feelings for him are already developing past friendship. All those fears Klaus just pointed out though are valid. I will age and die.”

“Do you think the visions we revealed to you are false?” The fates asked.

“No, but I don’t see how they could ever occur,” Liz said.

“We never show the impossible, only the truth.”

“What if we refuse this future? What if I take her back to the overworld and disappear from her life?” Klaus said.

“Then your future changes. We don’t really understand why you would deny yourself what you both so desperately want, just because we say it will happen. We just see the future; we don’t control it. It would be ignorant to throw away happiness just because you got a taste of it.” One said.

“That would be like a man dying of thirst and denying water because it was too pure or too easy to obtain.”

Klaus turned his back on the thrones and the beings that sat on them. “Lower your wards so I can teleport out of here.” He growled the order and one of the fates waved a bony hand in the air.

“You’ve given us a lot to think about.” Liz bowed to them. “Thank you for your time.”

Klaus grabbed Liz around the waist and disappeared in a flurry of darkness and fire.

One of the ancient creatures spoke up. “Atropos, what do you see of their future now? Has anything changed?”

The silence stretched as Atropos looked through the tangled threads of life and then she smiled.

“Nothing sisters, everything is the same.”

* * *

They landed in Liz’s room back at Klaus’ palace. Klaus released her waist and they refused to look at each other as they tried to figure out what to say. Liz looked down and fiddled with the sleeve of her coat and the metal cuff that was underneath it.

“Can you take me back to the dorm, please?” she asked quietly. Klaus didn’t say anything and held his hand out to her. “I just think we both need time to process this and figure out what we want.”

He didn’t acknowledge her but grasped her hand and took her back to her dorm. He turned away from Liz after they landed but she grabbed his arm, stopping him. 

“You aren’t going to disappear are you?” Liz stared up at him then her gaze finally searching his.

“Not unless you want me to. No, I’ll see you on Monday.” He gave her a small smile but it didn’t quite touch his eyes.

He vanished then leaving Liz alone to her thoughts.


	9. Chapter 8

“How is she?”

Quiet whispering voices brought Liz from her sleep. She frowned at the interruption and rolled over. The stars shone through the darkness outside the window and she wondered how early it was.

“She’s perfectly fine,” Amelia whispered. “After Klaus took her back to the dorm he came to get me so she wouldn’t be alone. Cerberus has been within a foot of her at all times since he arrived. We baked cookies and she did a little bit of studying. She told me she’s okay, she just has some thinking to do. How’s Klaus?”

“He’s pretty shaken up about it all. They both just got to the point where they are comfortable around each other. It was turning into something. All of a sudden now they find out in the future they’re together and Liz is somehow an angel? Now, Klaus is afraid that Liz will feel forced into a relationship, just because of fate. He’s not in a good mood. When I left he and Vincent were stepping into the sparring ring.” The soothing voice said. 

It was Elaine, Liz realized. 

“Oh no, the castle won’t be standing when we get back.”

There were a few giggles before Elaine spoke again. “I went and got Phaedon and Theodora from the heavens. They’re supervising, well that’s not entirely accurate. When I left they were making bets on who would win the fight and drinking. Your guess of the palace being in ruins may not be too far off.” Elaine said.

“We should do something to take Liz’s mind off of everything,” Amelia said. There was a long pause and Elaine sighed.

“I have an idea, I’ll be back. I need to go to the heavens and grab a few things and tell Sebastian I won’t be home tonight.” 

It was silent in the room for a few minutes and Liz finally rolled back over to look at Amelia. She yawned and Cerberus laid his head on her chest. “I heard what you two were talking about.”

Amelia got up and sat on the end of her bed. “Elaine want’s to do something fun. Are you up for it?”

“Sure, any idea what she has in mind?”

“No clue,” Amelia said.

“I’m up for anything at this point as long as it’s entertaining. Do you think we could convince Theodora and Elaine to take us flying?”

“Well, Theodora might not be sober. I’m sure later if you look pitiful enough and look at them both with big sad eyes they might.” Amelia giggled.

“Oh, I’m in a pitiful mood so it shouldn’t be that hard. Plus my eyes are adorable.” Liz grinned.

“Atta girl. Go take a bath and get dressed and we’ll ask.” Amelia shook her head in amusement and Liz jumped out of bed.

* * *

A crack rang through the air as Vincent’s fist collided with Klaus’ jaw. Klaus reigned in his shock and blocked the next blow, shoving Vincent away from him. The two men circled the perimeter of the ring, assessing each other’s movements. Klaus spat the blood from his mouth and Vincent smirked. 

“Had enough yet?”

Klaus scoffed and extended his hand. His claws slid from the tips of his fingers and his canines lengthened. He took a deep breath and calmed his racing heart. “Why don’t we make this more interesting?”

Vincent laughed and summoned his own claws and fangs.

“First one with a bite to the shoulder loses.”

They took a moment to catch their breath and to strategize. Klaus had a split lip and his jaw was already bruising. Vincent had a black eye and indents in one of his arms where Klaus had grabbed him. Bruises bloomed over one side of Klaus’ ribs but his breathing didn’t seem affected. 

Phaedon and Theodora watched them from their spot against the wall.

“Should we really be allowing this? They were just supposed to use fists, no magic, no claws, just hand to hand.” Phaedon leaned over and whispered to Theodora.

Theodora held out a bottle as Klaus walked past them. He grabbed it and took a long swig before handing it back to her. Theodora sat it down before picking up her own bottle and taking a drink. The two archangels watched him walk back into the ring, and tried to assess his physical state.

“One’s an Archangel and the other is the Commander of War for the underworld. I think they can take it. Any injuries they get will just heal in a few hours. Plus, we’re here to break them apart if it gets too ugly.” Theodora said.

“I’m way to drunk to be breaking apart a fight.” Phaedon grinned down at her.

“Well, they’re too drunk to be fighting so I think we’re all pretty evenly matched. Also, Elias and Randy are on the other side of the room and they’ll help if things go south.”

“In that case hand me another bottle.” Phaedon pointed to the table littered with liquor and Theodora laughed.

“I bet you a bag of gold that Klaus wins,” She said.

“You know what, usually I would bet on Vincent but Klaus is in fine form today. I won’t take the bet. There is no way Klaus will lose.” Phaedon smirked.

Vincent prowled back onto the mat and he and faced Klaus.

His joints burned but he always enjoyed sparring with Klaus, he was the only one around that gave him any kind of fight.

“So tell me, what’s with all the anger tonight?” Vincent asked.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at him and Vincent saw the muscle of his jaw clench. Klaus ran a hand through his sweat-damp hair. “What? You don’t want to talk about it?”

“If I wanted to talk I wouldn’t be in the ring with you,” Klaus said.

“Hmm well what could be bothering you? Things are going pretty well in the underworld. The Seraphim’s numbers are thinning, your presence hasn’t been requested in the heavens. What could it be?” Vincent tapped a sharp claw against his chin as he thought. “I noticed Liz is absent and she’s spent the last few weekends with us. Could that be why?”

Klaus snarled and Vincent’s smile widened. “I seem to have hit a nerve. That must be it. What, did you do something to piss her off?”

Klaus lunged at him then and the two men went sprawling to the floor in a tangle of limbs, teeth, and claws.

Theodora winced as she watched Klaus rake his claws down Vincent’s arm. He left five angry red lines down Vincent’s bicep and it looked like it burned.

Vincent growled at him and swept Klaus’ feet out from under him. Klaus rolled backward and stood in one fluid motion.

“So tell me what’s wrong.” Vincent panted.

“Nothing,” Klaus said shortly. “Things just got complicated.”

Vincent threw a series of punches at Klaus. He blocked each one expertly and crowded Vincent’s guard, forcing the man to back away. “More complicated than the fact that you are the king of the underworld and she’s a human?”

“Yes.”

“Well damn, what could be more complicated than that?” 

Vincent tackled Klaus to the floor again and attempted to sink his teeth into his shoulder. Klaus elbowed him in the nose though and kicked Vincent off of him.

“Turns out the fates have been giving Liz visions of the future. A future that involves Liz and I together.” Klaus grunted as Vincent slammed his shoulder into him. The force sent him stumbling backward.

“Well, that doesn’t sound like a bad future to me. Liz is wonderful.” Vincent stepped away to catch his breath. “What are you going to do about it?”

After the little breather, Vincent’s hits became deadlier and swifter. Klaus struggled to block them and his battered body protested at the exertion. 

“I don’t know.”

“That’s not an answer archangel. This isn’t just your future your contemplating, it’s Liz’s too. Shouldn’t you be discussing this with her, not hiding out in your realm?” Vincent’s fist moved swiftly in Klaus’ direction but he dodged it. Klaus put some distance between them and stretched.

“How can I face her after she’s seen a future where she is tied to me? More than this bargain.” He motioned to the metal cuffs on his wrists. “What if she doesn’t want that future. What if she doesn’t want me? I’m the god of the underworld.” Klaus panted.

“Since when do the fates _decide_ the future? They just see it, they don’t control it. No one is forcing you to be together. You could have the future she saw or it could change or shift somehow. So what are you going to do?” Vincent asked again. He lunged at Klaus and punched the bruised spot on his ribs. Klaus stumbled away from him and bared his fangs in anger.

“I don’t know.”

“Not a good answer.” Vincent snarled. He tackled Klaus to the floor and attempted to sink his teeth into him. Klaus threw up a forearm and blocked his fangs. Vincent decided to just bite Klaus’ arm instead. 

Blood flowed from Klaus’ forearm and Klaus roared at his General. The room shook and Klaus’ eyes went black. He straightened his arm, grabbed the side of Vincent’s neck, and shoved him off of him. Vincent’s back hit the mat hard and Klaus shoved his knee into the man’s chest, pinning him to the floor.

“It is none of your business what I choose to do.” Klaus snarled and sunk his teeth hard into Vincent’s shoulder.

Vincent slapped the mat at the pain and growled. “I yield.”

Klaus removed his knee from Vincent’s chest and stood. “Good. You may command my armies, and you may be a friend, but do not dare question me or my actions when your opinions are not required.”

Vincent got to his feet and grabbed Klaus’ arm to keep him from walking away. “Talk to Liz. A future with her would be a good one. It’s still your fate, it isn’t being controlled, or forced. You could run from it like a coward and wind up miserable or you could have everything. Don’t make something that is supposed to be a blessing your undoing. Many people would kill to get a glimpse at what is coming in their lives.”

Klaus’ breathing slowed and he scoffed. "I’ll think about it.”

“Okay.” Vincent frowned and Klaus was surprised when he didn’t chastise him or get angry. Vincent clenched his fist and the skin on his shoulder slowly knit back together. Nothing was left but the trail of blood. The bruises on his body disappeared and Vincent stretched. “Heal yourself and let’s go again. This time with less talking. This time, I don’t intend to lose.”

* * *

“Where are we going?” Liz asked excitedly. Elaine had come to get her and Amelia ten minutes ago. They had been walking through Klaus’ castle in the underworld for quite some time. Elaine had promised to show Liz something amazing and she was practically bouncing with excitement.

“One of my favorite places.” Elaine grinned back at her. They walked up to a set of iron doors. Twisted metal stretched to the ceiling and the doors were so tall that Liz couldn’t see the tops of them. Pictures and words in languages Liz couldn’t read covered the door. Jewels and stones glittered in the lamplight and cast little flecks of light around the hallway. Liz reached out and touched the cool surface in awe.

“What’s in there?” She asked curiously.

“The Vaults. Behind those doors are all the hoards and treasures of the underworld,” Elaine pulled a chain out from under the collar of her dress. A large ancient key hung from the delicate silver necklace. “And I have a key.”

“What do the vaults hold exactly?” Liz asked.

“Oh, a lot of things. Art, books, jewels, clothes, gold, furniture, anything of value that Klaus isn’t using is organized into this hall. It’s been around since the God’s were running things. There are things in here as old as the heavens and earth. Every ruler has stored things here and they remain here.” Elaine threw the doors open and Liz’s breath caught in her throat.

The room was enormous and it seemed to stretch on forever. The ceilings peaked and disappeared as shadows engulfed the tall structure. Chandeliers and candles hung from every available surface providing light to the shelves and alcoves that lined the walls.

“Don’t touch anything.” Amelia glanced at Liz. “A lot of these items have magical properties that even we don’t know about. Wouldn’t want you to accidentally curse yourself.”

“Yeah, that would totally ruin our day.” Liz laughed and Amelia grinned at her.

Elaine grabbed their hands and pulled them into the room. The doors shut behind them. “Don’t move any further or we’ll be in trouble.”

“Why?”

She whistled loudly and suddenly fifty hell hounds appeared in front of them. They were snarling and baring their teeth but stopped when they saw the people in front of them.

“I’m Elaine, second in command to your master. I have permission to be here.” Elaine held up the key again. “May we pass?”

The dogs waited and suddenly a loud howl rang through the group. Cerberus bounded forward through the pack and practically jumped on Elaine. She laughed and the other dogs began to wag their tails. “Cerberus vouches for me,” Elaine said through her giggles. 

The hound jumped around her happily and only stopped when Elaine rubbed his ears. “Alright, alright, that’s enough. Go with your pack.”

Cerberus walked up to Amelia and Liz to get petted and then disappeared with the rest of the wolves.

“What was all that about?” Amelia asked.

“Cerberus and his pack guard several spaces in the underworld. If they detect someone entering the forbidden space they appear and make sure nothing is being tampered with.”

“So, what are we doing here?” Amelia inspected a statue that was leaning against the nearest wall.

“I thought I would show you and Liz the wardrobe room. Klaus lets me raid it whenever I want. It’s crammed full of dresses, clothes, and jewelry. I love coming and looking through them all, that and the archives. It holds millions of books. I’ll take you to that room another day, though. I have a function in the heavens coming up and I need to find a dress. Why not play and find a dress at the same time?” Elaine led them to another set of doors.

“Surely the heavens have vaults like this as well. Do you ever use them?” Liz asked.

“No, the vaults in the heavens don’t work like this. The treasures are locked away and cataloged but they aren’t there for people to use. The archangels and other heavenly beings don’t have access to it. Everything in this vault though belongs strictly to the rulers of the underworld. Since this realm is so cut off from everything it was easy for the Kings and Queens to hoard their own riches. Here, I can pick out anything and return it later, unless Klaus tells me I can keep it. Which he usually does. I spend a lot of time here when Klaus has nothing for me to do and I don’t want to go home. I can’t wait to show you both the art galleries.” Elaine said.

“Well, next time you go exploring, come get me and I’ll go with you. Aren’t we a little old to be playing dress up, though?” Amelia winked at her and Liz grinned.

“I may be old but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy beautiful things.” Elaine opened the doors with a wave of her hand. Amelia and Liz’s expressions turned into stunned surprise. Elaine smirked at the awe on their faces.

Racks lined the walls and were filled to the brims with dresses, tunics, suits, pants, shirts, every piece of clothing you could imagine. The fabrics and embroidery glittered in the candlelight. 

Elaine stepped into the room and motioned for Liz and Amelia to follow her. This area of the wardrobe had thousands of formal dresses inside. All of them were organized by color.

“So, what are you looking for exactly?” 

“Each archangel has certain crown jewels. So, when there are functions like parties or balls, they wear them. As Klaus’ Second, I have to wear a set, so I’m here to get a diadem from the collection. I also need to get a dress. Each archangel also wears a certain color. Like Theodora’s colors are red, Phaedon’s are blue and silver, Sebastian’s are Gold and white, and Klaus’ are Black and green. I look better in black than green so I’m looking for that color.”

“Does it kill Sebastian every time you show up to a function in his brother’s colors?” A voice asked from behind them and they turned to see Theodora approaching.

“Absolutely.” A slow smile spread across Elaine’s face. “That’s one of the perks.”

Theodora held up two bottles. “I raided the guy’s liquor stash. They won’t even know they’re gone.” She waved her hand and four wine glasses appeared.

“Are Vincent and Klaus still breathing?” Amelia asked.

“They were when I left. Though they were in the middle of wailing on each other so who knows?” Theodora shrugged. “Vincent was trying to get Nikolaus to talk about his issues.”

Theodora gave Liz a pointed look but Liz ignored her. “You don’t want to talk about it? We could help.” Theodora offered.

“So, Elaine, can I ask about your relationship with Sebastian? You two looked very cozy before the council meeting.” Liz said. She attempted to deflect everyone’s curiosity and it worked.

“I’m want to know about this too,” Theodora asked. “You still wear your votum yet you speak out against his actions and you work with his brother.”

“We’re still married,” Elaine said. She took a sip of her wine and began looking through the racks of dresses. “Sebastian has always had a cruel streak but you can’t choose pieces of a person to love. You either love all of them, faults and all, or you don’t love them. So, I chose to look past a few of his bad traits and love the man underneath.”

“Not to mention that all angels have a sadistic streak so it’s not really a trait you can escape,” Theodora smirked.

“That we do.” Elaine’s flashed her fangs and smirked. “Sebastian has always treated me with respect and kindness, though. He would _never_ treat me cruelly and he knows if he did I would crush him.”

“I lost all of my biological family when we went to war with the Gods so his family became my family. I love Elias and Klaus, they are my brothers, and Elias did nothing to deserve what Sebastian and Walter did to him. I’m not going to stand by and pretend that what they did was okay. So after they dismembered their own blood, I came to work for Klaus. I couldn’t stand the thought of being Sebastian’s second, not after what he did. You don’t treat family like that; you don’t treat _anyone_ like that. For a while, I considered going back on my vows to him but I couldn’t. I may have loathed him in that moment but he is the heart of my heart and I couldn’t part with him.” Elaine glanced back at them as she talked.

“Sebastian respects my choice though and he would never order me or ask me to come back and work with him. It will be a long time before I ever stop working in the underworld.  He knows he screwed up. He’s never once apologized to Elias or any of us. So I think being Klaus’ second in command is a very fitting punishment. Sebastian get’s to watch me work alongside his brothers instead of working with him. I get to come home and tell stories about how his brothers are succeeding despite Klaus’ exile from the family and Elias’ new demon status. Maybe someday, he’ll realize everything he did was wrong and apologize but I won’t just sit by and wait until he does. I’ll support Klaus and Elias even if he won’t.” Elain threw back her wine and Theodora smiled.

“I feel like I should be applauding you right now.” 

“I’m just doing what I believe is right. Angels need to get over their prejudices of demons. We all fought on the same side in the war. You would think that they would be accepting of each other. That’s the hatred that drove Klaus’ family to exile him. He was no longer a pure angel and the fact that Elias was willing to follow him disgusted them.” Elaine said. She shook her head. “Enough about me, though. Liz, why don’t you tell us why Klaus and Vincent are currently beating each other to a pulp on the sparring mat. I mean Amelia and I know, but we want to hear your thoughts about everything.”

Liz inspected a dress and acted like she didn’t hear her. Elaine gave her an unimpressed look and Liz sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it yet. Give me a few more drinks and I might feel like talking.”

“Oh, this one would look good on you.” Theodora held out a dress for Elaine to inspect and Liz was thankful for her interruption. 

Theodora noticed that Liz had emptied the contents of her glass and she poured her another. Liz raised an eyebrow in question and Theodora shrugged. “I’m nosey and I want to know what’s going on. Also, if I don’t come back to Phaedon with some details about what is going on between you and Nikolaus, he’ll be angry.”

“Are all angels and demons this gossipy?” Liz asked.

“Yes.” The three women answered her at the same time and Liz grinned.

“Darling, when you’ve lived as long as us, you enjoy hearing things that are out of the ordinary and Nikolaus potentially shacking up with a human is interesting.” Theodora smiled. “His family will shit bricks. Rebecca is going to lose her mind.”

“So will Daphne.” Elaine grinned and Theodora almost spit her wine out from laughing.

“I didn’t think about Daphne.” Theodora threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, I want to be there when someone breaks the news to her.”

“Who are Rebecca and Daphne?” Liz asked curiously.

“Rebecca is Klaus’ mother, she’s very elitist. She was mortified when Klaus volunteered to rule the underworld.” Elaine’s eyes flashed. “As much as she’s ashamed of Nikolaus and Elias, she will be even more ashamed if Klaus starts a relationship with you. That is a family dinner I can’t wait to witness.”

“Daphne is one of Nikolaus’ ex-lovers,” Theodora said. “It was a long time ago but she’s still never gotten over the sting of him ending things with her.”

“She’s incredibly vain and she was shocked that someone wanted to actually break up with her. It was an ugly ending to a terrible relationship. She’s a piece of work. She was in the council meeting that day you came with us to the heavens. She’s second in command to Charis the God of art.” Elaine shook her head.

Liz struggled to remember a face to go with the name but couldn’t. “Well, there is a potential that no one will lose their minds. We might not even start a relationship.”

“Tell us what’s going on.” Theodora threw herself into the nearest chair.

Liz groaned in annoyance and began to pace. “Fine. After my first visit to the underworld, I started having visions of the future. It started at night, in my dreams. Small things like Elias dropping a cup, or what Klaus was going to teach me during lessons, or what the weather would be like. Then it started going further. I started having visions of Klaus and I… _together_.”

“You mean fucking,” Theodora said and Liz blushed. The archangels lips twitched as she fought a smile. “Just call it what it is, Liz.” 

“Yes, _that_.” Liz rolled her eyes.

“Oh you sweet soul.” Theodora winked at her. “If you can’t even say fuck then you are in for a million surprises when you start sharing Klaus’ bed.”

“Who said I was going to share his bed?” Liz asked.

“Your visions,” Amelia replied.

“Good point.” Liz snorted.

“The future is always changing, always evolving.” Elaine turned to face Liz and gave her a soft smile. “What is certain one day won’t exist the next. So, don’t stress yourself out over things that could change. Do you like my brother?”

“I do. I like him but we’re just getting to know each other and he’s the king of the underworld-”

Elaine held a hand up and Liz stopped talking. “None of that matters. He may be an archangel but he’s still a man underneath all the power and titles. So, don’t fret about the future or what could happen. Just get to know him. If it progresses then it progresses, if not then you’ll live your life without him and he’ll take your soul when you’re dead.”

“That’s morbid.” Theodora frowned and Amelia nodded.

“I didn’t even think about the bargain.” Liz groaned and ran her hand through her hair. “It can’t be broken, can it?”

“One step at a time, Liz.” Elaine smiled. “Now, I think this dress would look amazing on you.”

“We’re not looking for me.” Liz pointed out.

“We are now. Come on.” Elaine grabbed her hand and led her down the long room with Theodora and Amelia giggling behind them.

* * *

Klaus winced as he sorted through the papers in front of him. Fighting with Vincent had helped him let off some steam but his body was protesting at the exertion. His advanced healing was having trouble keeping up.

“You’ve looked better.”

Klaus looked up to see Phaedon walking into his study. The other archangel looked around the room for a minute before throwing himself down in a chair across from Klaus.

“Don’t you have your own duties in the heavens to attend to?” Klaus asked.

“I do but something is obviously bothering you. We’re friends whether you like or not so why don’t you tell me what’s going on.” Phaedon picked up a book and inspected it.

“I don’t want to talk. You should know that after watching my fights with Vincent.” Klaus said.

“What? Are you going to take me to the mat if I keep on bothering you.?” Phaedon smirked.

“Yes. I will, now go home.”

“Oh, Klaus compared to me you are a youngling.” Phaedon scoffed. “I’m about 4000 years older than you. I fought in the war. That sparring match would not end well for you.”

“Keep talking and we’ll see.” Klaus looked over at him and Phaedon laughed.

“Seriously, Nikolaus, what’s going on?” Phaedon asked. “Who else are you going to talk to? You won’t talk to Vincent and I have a feeling Elias and Randy wouldn’t be much help. I also have a feeling that this has something to do with the lovely Liz which means you probably can’t talk to Amelia or Elaine. You could always go to Sebastian. I’m sure he’s full of brotherly advice.” Phaedon grinned and Klaus narrowed his eyes at him.

“You’re so funny,” Klaus said dryly.

“I am the god of frivolity, I’m hilarious. Now talk to me. I’m all you’ve got.” Phaedon spread his arms and Klaus rolled his eyes.

Klaus watched him for a few minutes before taking a deep breath. “Fine, have you ever had a human lover?”

“Nikolaus I’m old. Of course, I’ve taken humans to my bed. Angels get boring after a while and I haven’t ventured into demon territory yet. That would be fun.” Phaedon smirked and Klaus sighed. “It’s been a few hundred years since I’ve had a human but yes. Why? Are you thinking of starting something up with Liz?”

“Well, it’s slightly more complicated than that but yes.” 

“What is complicated about it? I know you’ve had lovers. I can tell you right now there is no difference between angels and humans. Although humans are _much_ more responsive than angels.” Phaedon gave him a wolfish grin and Klaus ran his hands through his hair.

“That is not what I meant Phaedon and you are purposefully being difficult.” Klaus sighed.

“You’re right, sorry. Look, Liz is wonderful from what I’ve seen. I mean, she stood down an entire room of archangels. _I_ don’t even have the guts to do that. She can handle whatever the underworld throws at her. She would be a good balance to you. Someone to keep you in check.” Phaedon said.

“The fates were giving her visions of the future.”

“You’re joking, what were they?” Phaedon raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“I don’t know, I only witnessed one of them. She was pregnant with my child”

Phaedon let out a low whistle. “That’s not possible. We can’t reproduce with humans. Well, we can technically but it’s very rare. It has only happened twice since the beginning of time and both cases ended with the mother and child dead. I don’t think they even made it five months into the pregnancy.”

“She also had wings in the vision. She was no longer human.” Klaus said. “Have there been any cases of _that_ happening. Of a human being turned into an angel?”

Phaedon’s eyes darkened for a moment. He shook his head as if he was clearing a vision from his mind. He sat in silence for a few moments before finally speaking again. “How secure is your office? Will we be at risk of being overheard?”

“No, you can speak freely. Why?” Klaus asked.

“There were a lot of things that happened after the war with the gods that the majority of angels don’t know about. Our numbers were _greatly_ diminished after the fighting stopped. We were at risk of dying out completely. I was second in command to the Archangel of Life at the time. The one before Theodora. So, I got to sit in on all the council meetings.” Phaedon took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“As archangels, we wield the power of the gods. There is no limit to what we can do. When we realized we were dying out faster than we could produce younglings the archangels at the time decided to do something about it. The archangel of life discovered a spell that could change a human into an angel. So, it was decided that the archangels and their seconds would go to earth, kidnap humans, turn them into angels and use them for breeding purposes.”

“What?” Klaus’ voice was hard. “And you all just agreed to do this?”

“Of course not!” Phaedon snapped. “There were several of us, Ari, Sebastian, Charis, Dina, and myself who spoke out against it, who thought it was a monstrous thing to do. Granted Charis, Dina, and I were only seconds at the time but we refused to participate as did Ari and Sebastian. In fact, Sebastian and Ari went to earth to try to stop the others but they were no match for a group of archangels and their seconds. Luckily none of the archangels that _did_ participate are still living or I would’ve killed them myself when I gained my powers.”

“100 human females and males were captured and brought back to a secret location in the heavens. They were turned into angels and then forced to breed with each other and the archangels. I don’t know for how long or how many younglings were produced. We don’t know what happened to those humans or if they even survived the transformation. A few of us found the secret location years ago but it was empty and there was no evidence left to answer our questions. Sebastian guesses that if any children were born there that they were secretly integrated into our society without us even knowing. There were a lot of orphaned children as a result of the war, it would’ve been easy for the archangels to stick them in an orphanage and claim that their parents died in combat.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Klaus shook his head.

“It’s true, that is not a time I think about often. We were very corrupt as a species after our victory.” Phaedon shook his head again and shuddered. “So, yes to answer your question, there is a way to turn a human to an angel but that spell has been lost and I can’t even begin to tell you where to start looking. It might be better just to leave it lost so we will never be able to do something like that again. Also, what about your bargain with Liz, that would also put a damper on your relationship. You can’t break it can you?”

“No, bargains exist until they are completed. I don’t think I can break it but I would have to do more research.”

“What happens when you collect a soul that is entangled in a bargain?” Phaedon asked.

“Demons absorb the energy of that soul. It’s kind of hard to explain. When a human dies their soul comes to the underworld and lives here for eternity. So, when we consume the soul then it ceases to exist. We absorb all the days that the soul could have existed in the underworld. We feed off what could’ve been, all the possibilities.” Klaus said.

“So you consume their eternity, their time? What benefits does that give you?” Phaedon asked.

“Our powers increase, our bodies become stronger, it slows down our aging. We have to consume souls to survive or we wither away. Well, normal demons do. My angel blood prevents my aging and my commanders don’t age the same as normal demons because they are tied to my power. If I took Liz’s soul I would basically just become even more powerful.”

“Would you be able to love her while she aged and then when she is dead take away her afterlife? If you can’t find a way to make her immortal.” Phaedon asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I would be able to.” Klaus admitted. “I don’t exactly have a choice, though, do I?”

* * *

Liz was vaguely aware of where Klaus’ rooms were located and she was determined to find them. She had every intention of giving him his space until Monday. After several glasses of wine though Theodora had convinced her to go talk to Klaus.

She burst through a set of double doors and stopped when she walked into an entryway. These were Klaus’ rooms for sure, she recognized his seal etched into the stone of one wall. Three archways led different directions so she tried the one to the left first. She searched the rooms for several minutes and was getting frustrated with the twisting layout of the suite.

She finally found herself in a luxurious bedroom. The floors were made of dark marble arranged in jagged patterns, one of the walls was made of floor to ceiling archways which revealed additional views of the city and the mountains to the east. A large piece of frosted glass separated the bedroom from what Liz could only assume was the bathroom. Silk fabric hung from the ceiling allowing certain parts of the room to be more private to the openness of the arched wall. A large bed sat against the furthest wall and various couches and chairs were scattered around the room. Some were near bookshelves or tables. Liz could just make out a large map painted over the far wall. Everything in the room was rich and lavish; Liz found herself awed for just a moment before she remembered why she was there. 

“Klaus!”

Her voice echoed through the room and finally one of the curtains moved. Klaus pushed it aside and stood looking at her curiously. He was dressed casually with a stack of books in one hand. He walked towards Liz and tilted his head.

“I wasn’t even aware you were in the underworld.” Klaus sat down his books and crossed his arms. “How did you get here?”

“Elaine brought me.” Liz waved her hand dismissively. “That doesn’t matter, though, we need to talk and it can’t wait until Monday.” 

Liz stumbled and Klaus caught her. “Are you drunk?” He smirked down at her and Liz glared up at him.

“I’m not _super_ drunk, just a little.” Liz shook her head and Klaus’ smile widened.

“What do you want to talk about?” He breathed a laugh.

“Us.”

“Are you sure you are in the right mindset to discuss that now?” Klaus asked.

“I am, now quit smirking so loudly and let me talk.” Liz grabbed his shoulder to steady herself and Klaus wrapped his arm around her waist.

“How can someone make a facial expression have a sound?” Klaus smiled and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I don’t know but you do. Now shush.”

“Well go on then. Talk to me about us.” Klaus smiled into her hair and inhaled it’s scent.

“We make no sense. You’re an archangel and I’m just a little human which you’ve pointed out to me multiple times. I’m tied in a bargain to you. One that we can’t break. You’ll outlive me. Then there is the unknown factors of the future I’ve been seeing. It is not a bad future, to be honest. You should see some of the visions I’ve been having.” Liz waggled her eyebrows at him.

“Oh, now I’m intrigued.” Klaus laughed.

“Anyway, none of that matters. Let’s just be irresponsible, and shove all our doubt and problems to the side. We can solve them as we go along. If we agree to do this it’s not like we’re automatically agreeing to marriage or anything. We can just start out slow and see where it goes. I mean we barely know each other.”

“Mmm.” Klaus murmured and Liz pulled away from him.

“Are you even listening?” Liz demanded. Klaus grabbed her around the waist again and pulled her to him. He kissed her forehead with a feather light touch and Liz closed her eyes.

“I am, Love, but why don’t we talk about this tomorrow when you’re sober. If you still feel the same then we’ll start slow and see where it goes.” Klaus looked down at her and searched her gaze for any sign of uncertainty.

“Okay,” Liz paused and laid her head against his chest. They were quiet for several minutes before she spoke again. “Can I stay here tonight because that bed looks unbelievably comfortable.”

Klaus laughed and tightened his arms around her. “Sure, I promise I’ll behave.”

“I don’t know if I can make that same promise,” Liz replied. Klaus smirked and kissed her forehead again. He picked her up and dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed. 

“Get under the covers. I need to go get ready for bed and then we are going to sleep. Just sleep.” He smiled at her unimpressed expression before walking into another room to get ready.

When he returned several minutes later Liz was already asleep and curled up under the various blankets and furs on the bed. Klaus rolled his eyes before wrestling a few blankets away from her. He crawled into bed next to her and pulled her to his chest.

Pretty soon both of them were sleeping peacefully; tangled together and at ease.


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW content in this chapter. If that’s not your thing then you can skip it. It happens after Klaus gets finished judging souls and goes to the end of the chapter.
> 
> Music inspiration: Alive by Sia

A dull pounding headache woke Liz from her slumber. She groaned and pulled the covers up over her eyes. She was nauseous and knew if she moved too much she would probably lose the contents of her stomach.

Her mouth was dry and she just wanted to go back to bed. She stretched and buried her head into the pillow underneath her.  A familiar scent hit her and she froze. The smell of chypre, tea, smoke, and moss swirled around her.

Then she realized the sheets underneath her were different from the ones in her room.

This wasn’t her bed.

She sat up suddenly at the realization and her head protested at the movement. A growl of frustration escaped her lips and she rubbed her forehead. She cracked her eyes open and was incredibly thankful that there was no sunlight in the underworld.

She looked to her left and her heart stopped. Klaus was sprawled out next to her and completely at ease. His lips were parted and she watched the rise and fall of his chest. While he was sleeping the hold on his magic had dropped. His horns and claws were out. His wings were folded tightly behind him. The black feathers gleamed in the dull lamplight and Liz wanted to reach out and feel them. A smile tugged at her lips while she gazed at him. This was probably the most unguarded she had ever seen him. 

She shoved her headache from her thoughts and shifted, as quietly as she could, to the other side of the bed. Liz knelt behind him and tentatively reached out to stroke one of the long soft feathers. When he didn’t start or move at the feeling of her touch, she did it again. Her fingers found the large bone at the top of his wings and she ran her hand over the ridges of it.

A shiver ran up his spine and Liz stilled her touch. When he settled back down her fingers continued their exploration. She spread her hand wide and smoothed the feathers down over the wing. They were soft and they made her palm tingle.

“You’re tickling me.” 

Liz jumped at the sound of Klaus’ voice in the quiet and blushed at being caught. Klaus peered over his shoulder at her. His eyes were black and he smirked at her. “Did you get curious?”

“A little,” Liz whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. If I had a problem with it then I would have stopped you when you got up to move behind me.” Klaus replied. He sat up and his wings rustled as he adjusted them. He turned to face her and laid back down. He grabbed a pillow and stuck it underneath his head so he could peer up at her.

“You were awake the whole time?” Liz grimaced.

“I woke up the minute you woke up. You were moving around a lot.” Klaus stretched.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Liz said.

“I don’t mind.” Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened for just a moment before relaxing into his embrace. Her head swam and she shook it in an attempt to clear it. She made a small noise of protest and he glanced down at her.

Understanding dawned on his face and he rolled his eyes. “Hungover?”

“Yes.” Liz nodded and winced. 

Klaus sighed and touched his index finger to her forehead. Liz instantly felt better and she blinked up at him. “Did you just take my hangover away?”

“I did.”

“If I didn’t already like you then that would’ve definitely helped your chances.” Liz grinned and Klaus scoffed.

“Do you remember everything you said last night?” Klaus asked after a moment of silence. Liz adjusted herself in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. 

“Most of it. I’m anxious to hear what you have to say, though. I don’t want you to feel pressured just because of the visions I had. You said yourself a few times that you don’t like to get attached to people.” Liz said.

“That’s true but I think I would enjoy being with you. As much as we don’t want there to be pressure on us, there is a little. It’s hard to ignore the future after you’ve seen it.” Klaus said.

“Yes, but just because we’re agreeing to get to know each other doesn’t mean that vision automatically comes true. It’s not like we’re going to turn around tomorrow and get married just because I’ve seen us together in the future. Let’s just be friends and date a little and see where it goes. The future can always change or evolve.” Liz looked up into his fathomless eyes for a minute while she waited for him to speak. 

“Alright, we’ll see where this goes.” Suddenly Klaus moved on top of her and Liz blinked up at him in surprise. His wings spread behind him and Liz marveled at the sight. He nipped playfully at her jaw. “I feel I should warn you though, love. I’m manipulative and selfish and territorial. I’m divine and ancient and powerful. I don’t play games and I don’t have time for them.”

His eyes searched hers as he spoke and Liz reached up to push the hair from his face. “There are different rules in relationships with angels and demons than there are with humans. We gnash our teeth and growl and _love_ , _hard_.” His talon tapped the metal cuff at her wrist.”If you are mad at me then tell me. If I do something you don’t like then tell me. I don’t have time to guess what you are thinking.

“There will be days where you don’t see me because I will be busy with my duties. There will be days where I’ll come home weary, stressed, and angry and the only thing I’ll want to do is bury myself in you.” Liz gasped at his words and Klaus flashed her a fanged grin. “I don’t know what boys you’ve loved before but a relationship with a divine being is different. So, bear with me. I’ll listen to your concerns and needs and respect them, all I ask is that you try to understand me as well.”

Suddenly Liz smirked up at him. “I may not have 1,800 years of experience Klaus but if you growl at me and bare your fangs, I’ll just growl louder. I’m not naive enough to think that loving an archangel will be easy. I won’t ever let you rule me, though, this relationship wouldn’t thrive like that, and I know you agree. So, be selfish and manipulative and cruel. I won’t let those traits dominate me and when you need someone to stand up to you, I’ll do it. When you need comfort then I’ll be here. I have school and human life to deal with, it might not be the realm of the dead, but it’s still my life. There will be days where I come home tired as well. Let’s help each other and then maybe this relationship will develop into something strong. There will never be any rules between us.”

Klaus let out a surprised gasp and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You know there are so many times when you surprise me.” He pushed himself off of her and stood. “Keep up that attitude and I might just fall for you.”

Liz grabbed his hand and he pulled her up off the bed. “Oh, Nikolaus,” His eyes widened at the use of his given name. “You and I are going to fall so hard. We’ve already seen it.”

Klaus pulled Liz to him and she gazed up into his eyes. They stood like that for several minutes before Klaus let her go. “I have work to do today but you can come with me if you want. I can show you more of the underworld.”

“I would like that. I need to go freshen up. I’ll meet you back here in thirty minutes?” Liz asked.

“I’ll just come get you from your room, there will be clothes and armor laying on your bed. Get dressed and then I’ll help you into your armor. You’ll have to wear it if you’re coming with me.” Klaus said.

Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Any particular reason?”

“The demons hate me remember? If you’re going to be seen with me you have to dress for combat just in case. Do you still want to come?” Klaus smirked.

Liz thought about it for a moment and then squared her shoulders. “Yes, I want to see what you do.”

“I’ll come get you in thirty minutes and I’ll go up to the surface to get you some food.”

Liz’s stomach growled at the mention of food and she smiled. “Thank you.”

* * *

“Where are we going first?” Liz skipped in front of Klaus. He had just helped her into her own set of armor and she found she quite liked it. It was surprisingly light and pictures of vines and flowers were etched into the black metal. 

Klaus rolled his eyes at her excitement and grabbed her hand. She blushed at the touch and he teleported them away. Her mind raced as he held her close and her hand tightened around his. “We’re going to one of my favorite places.”

They appeared on a mountainside. Snow fell around them but it was light compared to the mountains where the Fates lived. Klaus led Liz up to a long stone building. Tall wooden doors covered the side of the structure. Klaus unlatched the doors and began to slide one of them to the side.

The minute a gap in the doorway appeared black shadows rushed out of the door and towards Klaus. Liz realized then that the figures weren’t shadows but were a dozen hell hound puppies. They danced around Klaus eagerly and barked in excitement. They came up to his knees in height and were fluffier than Cerberus. They jumped at his legs and Klaus sighed.

“Get down, get down.” He shoved one off of him gently and rubbed its ears. The puppies continued to jump around him before they realized there was another person with him. The dogs converged on Liz and hit her with such force that she went tumbling down into the snow. Liz giggled as the dogs wriggled around her and licked her face, their large tails swishing in the air.

Klaus whistled and the dogs immediately got off of Liz and sat down on their haunches. Klaus offered Liz a hand and helped her out of the snow before turning to the hounds.

“How’s your fire breathing developing?”

The wolves barked in excitement before flames began to erupt from their mouths. Klaus grabbed Liz and pulled her backward when one of them got too excited and the flames got close to them.

“Adjust your flame Orthrus,” Klaus commanded and the dog obeyed. His flame lessened and Klaus waved a hand cutting them off. “Good.” 

He summed a few pieces of meat and fed them to the dogs. “Let’s go inside.” He pointed to the door and the wolves trotted back inside the building. Klaus grinned and shook his head before turning to Liz. “This is where I keep the hellhounds. Cerberus generally stays with me unless he’s with you but the others live here.”

Klaus held the door for her and Liz walked into the warm building. An enormous hearth at the back of the room heated the space. Straw coated the ground and various pillows, blankets, and toys littered the ground. There were about 50 wolves of various sizes lounging around the room. Five of them were large like Cerberus but it looked like the majority of them were younger. They walked up to Klaus to get their ears rubbed or to play with him before going off to lounge.

A noise sounded from the back of the room and Klaus tilted his head. “Elias?”

Elias emerged from one of the stalls in the back of the room with a bucket in his hand. “I came to muck the stalls for you and change out the hay so you wouldn’t have to do it today.” 

“Thank you.”

Elias snapped his fingers and bowls appeared on the floor full of food. The wolves converged on the food and knocked Elias to the side. Klaus smirked and Elias rolled his eyes. “I finished the stalls and checked on the newborns. You need to look at Cerberus’ armor, though. I think it’s damaged and it might need to be repaired.”

“Okay, Elaine was looking for you earlier. I think she wants you to help her hold court.” Klaus said.

“I’ll go look for her after I freshen up. Liz.” Elias nodded at her in greeting and vanished.

Klaus walked over to some hooks at the back of the room and pulled a piece of metal off the wall. 

“Cerberus wears armor?” Liz asked as she came to stand next to him.

“Sometimes. Whenever I have to deal with a large number of Seraphim or demons then I summon the older hellhounds to help out. They wear armor to protect their bodies, necks, and heads. Cerberus assisted me a few days ago and it looks like his armor was damaged.” Klaus inspected the metal and found the dents in it. He waved a hand over it and the metal righted itself. Klaus hung it back up on the wall and turned back to Liz.

“Why do the demons hate you so much? Elaine told me it’s because they want to govern themselves. Is that true?” Liz asked.

“Yes, they don’t like the idea of an angel ruling them. They think that the archangels should go back to the heavens and leave the underworld to them. We can’t do that, though.” Klaus came to stand in front of her. 

“Archangels may be corrupt and cruel at times but we all generally care for humans. Demons don’t care, so all the souls that pass into the underworld would no doubt be mistreated. That’s why I can’t just turn power over to them. I have a council of demons that I respect and they help me govern, which is more than my predecessors ever did. I understand their frustration at being ruled by beings so different than them but demons are evil by nature. They enjoy torturing humans and I can’t let them harm the innocent souls. So, I’ll continue to try to work with them and fight the ones that ambush me. That’s all I can do.” Klaus shrugged.

Liz fiddled with the cuff on her wrist and Klaus’ eyes fell on it. “Does it bother you?”

Liz realized what she was doing and looked down at her arm. “No, it doesn’t, I tend to play with it when I think. You mentioned that when you became ruler of the underworld that demon blood mixed with your blood. Does it influence your behavior?”

“Not really, it’s what allows me to shift forms but other than that it doesn’t change me much. It might make me a little crueler than I used to be but I’ve always been unreasonable.” Liz snorted at his comment and Klaus smiled.

“What happens with our bargain now that we are,” she waved her hand vaguely. “Whatever we are.”

“Nothing changes. Once a deal is made it can’t be broken. So we might grow close and fall in love but whenever you die then I get your soul. Regardless of what I feel for you, a deal is a deal.”

“Does that bother you?” Liz wondered.

“A little but there is nothing we can do about it. Can you be with me knowing that I’ll be your ultimate end?” Klaus pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. Liz leaned up and kissed his cheek and smiled.

“I think so, I think loving you would be enough to outweigh the brutal end. There is something slightly peaceful about knowing where I’ll end up after I’m gone.” 

“Who knows, maybe when I come for you, it won’t be your end,” Klaus smirked at her. “Maybe I’ll keep your soul beside me for all eternity.”

* * *

Klaus had to check on a few of the flowers in the garden and answer a few prayers off of his prayer tree. It took a few hours but Liz didn’t mind. She quite enjoyed lying amongst the flowers and watching him work.

“Where are we going next?” Liz asked. They were walking out of the Garden of Souls together, their hands intertwined. Liz was getting comfortable with the casual touches and she found she enjoyed being affectionate towards Klaus. 

They walked out of the gates and Klaus pulled her into his arms. “I have to go judge some souls.”

“How exactly do you judge 150,000 souls a day?” Liz asked. Her hands automatically snaked around his neck and she pulled him closer.

“The simple, boring, answer would be that its magic,” Klaus smiled down at her.

“And what is the more complicated answer?” Liz wondered.

“Amelia brings souls in front of me usually 5,000 to 10,000 souls at a time. Then this ‘power’ that I obtained when I became ruler of the underworld, looks through the souls at an alarming speed. It then gives me a mental list of anyone who has sinned greatly, like for example, murder. The souls that show up on my list remain standing before me while Amelia carts the innocent souls off to Paradise. Those unlucky enough to remain in my presence receive my judgment.” Klaus said.

“Does anyone ever get overlooked?” Liz asked.

“In what way? Do you mean, do wicked people ever get sent to Paradise or do innocent people ever get sent into the fire?”

Liz nodded and Klaus teleported them away. They appeared out of the shadows and into a long corridor. It was significantly colder here than it was in the rest of the underworld. Liz shivered and Klaus’ hand squeezed hers.

“Evil people don’t get sent to Paradise. I’m all knowing in that regard, I can tell when a person has sinned greatly. However, sometimes the sins that people do can be overlooked if I feel that their sin was committed in an attempt to do something good. They can be allowed to enter Paradise if I feel they don’t deserve damnation.” Klaus said as he pulled her down the hallway.

“How do you know whether their sins were justified?” Liz asked.

“I listen to their pleas and make a decision, and deep down I just know when I’ve made a correct judgment. I can also look into a person’s soul.” Klaus shrugged. They were reaching the end of the hallway and he stopped to face her. He touched Liz’s shoulder and her armor shifted and disappeared before becoming an elegant dress.

The bodice was cut into a V but was cut in a way that still allowed her to retain a great deal of modesty. The sleeves were made of beautiful ebony colored lace. A voluptuous skirt flared out at her hips and layers of sheer black chiffon swirled around her. The way the layers moved when she walked made it seem like smoke was billowing around her ankles. Once again her plain, black, metal cuff was replaced by an ornate golden cuff on each wrist. Black diamonds encrusted the metal and glittered in the dull lamplight. 

Klaus took a deep breath and rested his forehead against hers. “A warning before we go in, Amelia always attends the judgment of souls in her demon form. In there she is not your friend, in that room, she is Death, in every sense of the word. She will not speak to you and you should not address her. She wouldn’t want you to speak to her like that anyway and you would most likely not enjoy the experience.”

“What is her demon form like?” Liz asked.

“It’s,” Klaus winced. “Unpleasant, there is a reason she doesn’t like it. She tends to keep to the side of the room and doesn’t speak unless I need her to. You shouldn’t have to see the full extent of it.” Cerberus appeared next to them suddenly and Klaus ran his hands through the fur of the massive hound. “At the bottom of my dais, there will be a chair for you. I’m sorry but you can’t come up with me unless I ask you to. That spot is reserved for my second in command.”

“I understand.” Liz nodded and Klaus sighed. 

He looked down at Cerberus and grinned. “Ready to scare some mortals?” The hound jumped a little in excitement.

“You are horrible.” Liz shook her head. “These poor people just died.”

“I’m a demon, love. Of course, I’m sadistic. I pull back my nature when I deal with the mortal children that enter my realm so they feel safe, the adults, though…” He tilted his head. “Well, the adults are generally wicked and there are reasons you all have legends about demons and the ruler of Hell. How else would we scare humans into behaving?”

Liz snorted and shook her head. “You’re terrible.”

“And you like me.” Klaus pointed out.

“Very true. I wonder what that says about me?”

Klaus’ lips twitched as he fought a smile. “Let’s go. Walk on the other side of Cerberus and when we pass your seat then you can sit down.”

The three of them walked up to the door and Klaus schooled his features. Cerberus raised his hackles and bared his fangs, he was already enormous but he seemed to grow as a snarl was ripped from him. Four more hell hounds appeared in front of Klaus and Liz.  An ornate golden staff materialized in Klaus’ hand. 

He shoved the doors open with a loud bang. The four hell hounds in front of them darted through the door in a flurry of smoke and rage. They nipped at each other’s ankles and growled at anyone near them. Cerberus stalked forward his head low to the ground, smoke flowed from his nostrils with each breath and Klaus began to walk along side of him. Liz followed their cue and stepped into one the largest rooms she had ever laid eyes on.

It rivaled the size of the vaults and it was packed to the brim with souls. The hell hounds darted through the crowd as they made their way to the dais at the back of the room. 

Klaus slammed his staff down on the ground and a pulse of light erupted from it and rippled through the floor. The souls parted instantly and he began to walk again. Smoke and mist shrouded him as he walked and when it cleared his armor was gone and in its place was a simple black suit. On top of his head sat a crown of thistle and lavender. A black cloak unfurled behind him and shadows billowed from him.

Elaine was sitting on one of the thrones on the platform. She had one leg crossed over the other and she was inspecting her nails apathetically. Her blonde hair was loose and fell down in thick curls around her. When she saw Klaus though she stood and smiled at him. 

The mortals looked on in curiosity and fear as Liz and Klaus passed through them. They reached the dais and a low bench sat to the left of the platform. Klaus gave Liz a small nod and offered her a hand to assist her in sitting down gracefully. Liz was thankful since she doubted she could have done it modestly in a dress. 

Something flashed in Klaus’ gaze and Liz raised an eyebrow in question. Klaus ignored her though and walked up the stairs to his throne. He sat down and relaxed into the ornate rock chair. Black furs were draped over both of the thrones and Liz’s seat and she was thankful for them. It was cold in the large room.

All of a sudden a figure emerged from the shadows behind the throne. A tattered cloak shrouded the person but Liz knew who it was. They held an ornate scythe, the same scythe she had seen Amelia wield. Her hood was pulled low over her face and Liz couldn’t make out anything about the Reaper in front of her that reminded her of her best friend.

The hands that grasped the scythe were long and thin, almost skeletal. Sharp black cracked nails curled from the tips of her fingers and tapped rhythmically against the metal of the creatures weapon. Shadows danced around her and hissed as if they were talking to her. Liz shivered and wrenched her gaze away from Death.

“What have you brought me today Amelia?” Klaus’ voice was quiet but still could be heard as it echoed through the hall.

“We were lucky today, my King. Only fifty thousand souls for you to judge.” Amelia hissed. Her voice was gravely and it sounded as if several voices were speaking at once.

“Good we’ll be done by dinner,” Klaus smirked and settled back into his throne again. 

His eyes scanned the crowd for several minutes before Amelia spoke again. “What is your judgment?”

“Everyone in this bunch will enter Paradise.” Klaus waved a hand dismissively and Amelia floated forward towards the souls. In a flash of light, she vanished along with all the mortal souls in the room.

The floor seemed to open up and suddenly the room was full of souls again. Amelia appeared and floated menacingly around the thrones. Every once in awhile Elaine would whisper to her but other than that it was quiet while Klaus contemplated the new souls.

“Paradise.”

The same thing happened a second time, Amelia took the souls and then the room was full again. Klaus placed an elbow on the arm of his throne and rested his cheek on his fist. His eyes scanned the crowd for several minutes and then suddenly his back straightened. He held out his palm gracefully and a sheet of parchment appeared in his palm. He handed it to Elaine and she stood from her throne and descended the dais.

“If I call your name, then step towards the front of the crowd.” Elaine addressed the souls. “Leda Mainthe, Richard Cost, Ammon Lest.” 

Liz watched as three people walked timidly to the front of the hall. Klaus whispered something to Amelia and she vanished along with the rest of the souls in the room leaving the three remaining mortals to their fate.

Klaus stood from his throne and descended the steps of the dais. He walked forward and inspected the souls in front of him. He looked like a predator assessing its prey. “Elaine please tell me what these three are guilty of.”

“Richard is guilty of using dark magic, he raids and loots villages. Leda is guilty of murder, she murdered her husband to gain his fortune. Ammon is guilty of theft he stole from the same vendor every day for a year.” Elaine pointed to each of the souls as she spoke.

“There’s been some kind of mistake,” Richard spoke up.

“ _Do not_ speak unless you are spoken to.” Elaine snapped. Klaus came to stand next to her and looked at the souls in front of them.

“You would accuse a god of making a mistake?” Klaus scoffed. “I don’t make mistakes. However, I give everyone a chance to explain their crimes. So, tell me about your sins, Richard.”

“I don’t know what sins you’re referring to. I have done nothing wrong in my life. I was possessed by a demon and he made me do it.” Richard crossed his arms.

A slow smile spread across Klaus’ features and his canines lengthened. “Oh really? Are you sure that is a claim you want to make?”

“It’s the truth,” Richard replied.

“Show me your wrists.” Klaus tapped his staff impatiently against the marble floor.

“What?” Richard tilted his head in confusion and rolled up his sleeves. His wrists were bare and Klaus laughed.

“Liz, darling. Would you come here a moment?” Klaus called Liz over.

She had gotten up from her chair minutes ago and was surveying the room. She raised an eyebrow in question when he called her but walked over to stand next to him. 

“Give me your wrist please.” Klaus held out his hand and Liz obeyed. “You see Richard when a demon makes a contract with a human they leave something physical on the human’s body to mark them as prey. Usually, it’s a cuff,” Klaus held up Liz’s wrists to show the cuffs on her arms. “A ring, or for some of the crueler demons, a brand. I see no ring on you, no cuffs, and unless you have a brand to show me, then you weren’t possessed. Demons can only possess humans that have made deals with them. Like Miss Hart here, I could possess her but I can’t do it to anyone else.”

Liz stiffened beside him and Klaus glanced over at her. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do that.”

“You’re wrong,” Richard demanded. “Since when is dark magic a serious offense? Dark magic commands you and your kind doesn’t it?”

Klaus’ muscles tensed. In an instant, his eyes had gone black as night and his talons slid from the tips of his fingers. His wings exploded from his back and spread behind him. The hell hounds that had been reclining at the foot of the dais got up to circle the souls. 

Klaus took a step towards Richard and extended his staff. Light burst from the tip of it and Richard gasped. His body convulsed and he arched towards Klaus.

“If you’re so insistent that I’m wrong then let’s take a look at your soul.” Klaus hissed. Liz had never heard him sound so menacing before and she involuntarily took a step closer to him. She almost reached out and touched his arm but changed her mind when she spied the tense posture of his body.

Richard gasped and Klaus took a step towards him. “I see a dark corrupt soul trapped in an arrogant body. I see someone who used the dark magic of humans to raid villages and use its citizens however he saw fit. I see someone who has stolen, killed, lied, cheated, and enjoyed it. So no, I’m not wrong. I do not serve black magic, I am a divine being, a creator. I may live in the shadows but they serve me. Dark magic is child’s play compared to what I possess and my magic is infinitely more complex. It is gray there is either a right or a wrong way to go about magic. I generally chose the lightest path. So no, our magic is not the same.”

Klaus lowered his staff and Richard crumpled to the ground. He gasped for air and didn’t dare look up at Klaus.

Klaus turned his back on the man and turned to Leda. “Are you going to tell me your soul is pure as well?”

“No, my Lord. I would be lying if I said it was. I married my husband for his money and when I grew tired of him I killed him to obtain his fortune.” Leda clasped her hands in front of her and looked at the floor.

“Thank you for your honesty. Your pain will be slightly reduced whenever you enter damnation.” Klaus said. Leda bowed her head at his words.

“What about you Ammon?” Klaus asked.

“I’m guilty of the crime I’m being accused of but I would like a chance to explain my actions,” Ammon asked.

“Go on,” Klaus said.

“A famine hit my country. I’m a farmer so when the land denied me the opportunity to grow my crops, I was unable to make money to feed my family. We burned through our savings within months. I looked for work elsewhere but everyone was having a hard time and no one had the money to hire extra help. One day in desperation to feed my family I stole some bread and some cheese from a rich vendor. He didn’t even notice. So, in order to feed my family, I did that every day for a year. After the famine lifted from my lands and I was able to grow crops again, I left the money for a year’s worth of bread and cheese on the vendor’s doorstep. I repaid him every cent he lost.” Ammon took a deep breath. “I won’t apologize for stealing to save my family.”

Klaus watched him for a moment and nodded. “Liz?”

“Yes?”

Klaus reached out for her and pulled her to his side. “Tell me, what judgment would you give these souls?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Indulge me.” Klaus smiled at her.

“I would send Richard and Leda to the fires. Ammon, I would send to Paradise. He suffered in his life and his crimes were committed in order to care for the people he loved. He doesn’t deserve damnation.” Liz said. She looked up at Klaus and he smiled down at her.

“I agree with your judgment,” Klaus said. “Elaine, would you cast Leda and Richard into the fires?” 

Elaine stepped forward and grabbed the mortals by the scruff of their necks and teleported away. “I’ll be right back, Liz. Ammon come with me and I’ll take you to Paradise.”

They vanished and Liz was left alone in the throne room. She was able to really look at the room now that it was empty. 

The ceiling was vaulted and covered in paintings and carvings. They depicted several scenes that caught her eyes. Scenes of battles and fire. There were paintings of the Heavens and of the Garden of Souls. As she looked at the ceiling she found herself standing in front of the dais.

She looked up at the two thrones made of ebony and diamonds curiously. She placed her foot on the first step and when she was sure no one was around she began to climb them. The train of dress dragged behind her as she ascended the steps. 

Her fingers drifted over the rigid decorations adorning the chairs as she inspected them. They seemed to be carved out of the rock of the dais itself and they were cool to the touch. Now Liz understood why the thick furs on both thrones were necessary.

She turned to face the room and sat down on Klaus’ seat. The furs around her were warm and they smelled of him, spice, embers, and tea. She relaxed back against the chair and closed her eyes.

“Comfortable?”

Liz jumped at the voice in her ear and turned to see Klaus’ face next to hers. He was standing in front of her and was bent at the waist assessing her. She blushed and Klaus smirked down at her. 

“I was curious to see what the room looked like from up here,” Liz replied.

“Mmm.” Was Klaus’ only reply before he knelt in front of her. He leaned up on his knees and kissed her softly. Liz inhaled sharply in surprise. He had never kissed her on the lips before and it made her breathless.

One of his hands cupped the back of her head and the other spread low across her back, pulling her towards him. Her shock disappeared and she grabbed the front of his shirt, clutching the material in her fists. 

He wrenched himself away from her and rested his head in the crook of her neck. He pressed his lips to the place where her neck met her shoulder and Liz’s breath hitched.

“Surprisingly I quite like the sight of you sitting on a throne.” Klaus’ breath tickled her neck and Liz laughed.

“Do you?”

“Very much so.” He raised his head and crushed his lips to hers. The breath in her lungs disappeared, almost as if he was draining her of everything that she was. Her hands and arms moved to wrap around his neck. She pulled him closer until their chests were touching. He tilted her head back so he could gain better access to her mouth. Her lips parted for him and his tongue flicked hers. He tasted so good and Liz didn’t think she could get enough.

An unexpected moan escaped her and it made Klaus growl against her mouth. He pulled away from her then and trailed kisses up her jaw before taking her earlobe between his teeth. He nibbled on it and Liz arched against him.

“Well, you like the sight of me on your throne but I like the sight of you kneeling before me. In fact, it thrills me in a way I didn’t expect.” Liz admitted quietly. “I’ve had a few visions of you kneeling between my legs.”

Klaus inhaled sharply through his teeth and looked into her eyes. “What else have you dreamed about?” Klaus grabbed her ankle and began to run his fingers up and down her calf muscle. 

“Lot’s of things,” Liz replied. She grabbed his tie and pulled him closer. 

Klaus moved the skirt of her dress to her knees. His fingers brushed the inside of her leg as he moved the material up. He grabbed her ankle again and lifted it so he could nibble at the bone. “Did I kiss you here?”

Liz couldn’t take her eyes off of him and she nodded mutely. His mouth moved to her calf and he kissed it before sucking gently on the spot he had kissed. He left a red mark on her calf and pulled away. “What about there?”

“Yes.”

He pushed her legs further apart and settled between them. His teeth grazed the inside of her knee and Liz’s grip on the arms of the throne tightened. “Here?”

“Yes.” Liz breathed. Her hips moved forward involuntarily and Klaus smiled. He reached up under her skirt and grasped the lace of her underwear. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Liz lifted her hips for him and he slid her underwear down and off her legs. He grasped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the throne.

Klaus shifted Liz’s skirts to her waist and then she was laid bare in front of him. Liz blushed and rested her head back against the throne so she could stare up at the ceiling. She felt his fangs graze the inside of her thigh and her hips twitched.

“Look at me.” He ordered quietly. Liz’s eyes snapped to his and her breath caught in her throat. He was looking up at her through his lashes and his eyes shined like onyx as he looked her over.

He leaned forward to her center and ran his tongue up through her folds. Liz arched against him and took a ragged breath. Klaus’ fingers dug into her hips as his tongue delved into her center. He lifted her leg and rested it on his shoulder so he could gain better access to her. 

* * *

Klaus had always considered his needs to be simple. He was not generally a selfish lover but he enjoyed his partner’s reactions. He desired to see their muscles quiver underneath him, to hear them pant his name, he enjoyed the taste of them on his tongue. He always had. He guessed he was greedy in some way especially since his lover’s satisfaction fueled his own desires.

Liz was no exception. He had been thinking about her writhing beneath him for days. She wasn’t the only one having dreams. Hers were visions of the future but his were just his subconscious showing him his desires. And his subconscious had come up with _several_ ideas. He had wondered how his tongue would feel against her skin, what she would taste like. None of his thoughts had compared to experiencing it, though.

The sounds that left her lips when he licked her just the right way were music to his ears. The weight of her leg on his shoulder and the heat of her thighs against his cheek made desire coil low in his stomach. He wanted to watch her come apart in front of him.

The scent of her desire was overwhelming and it made him ache. His tongue traveled up to find the bundle of nerves at her center and she moaned as his tongue circled her clit. He lapped at her before drawing the bud between his lips and sucking on it.

Liz called out and Klaus smiled against her skin. It wouldn’t take much more to get her off. Her hands found their way to his hair and she ran her hands through the silky tresses. He continued to circle her clit with his tongue and the heel of her foot dug into his shoulder. She grasped one of his horns and tugged on it causing a growl to escape from him.

His tongue was relentless against her and her hips thrust in time with his movements. Her body stiffened above him and Klaus picked up his pace. Liz’s fingers dug into his shoulders, her nails scraping the fabric of his jacket. She let out a long moan and then she was coming aginst his lips. She panted as he lapped up every bit of her and then relaxed bonelessly against his throne.

Klaus leaned up, placed a palm on her cheek and kissed her hair softly.

“How was that compared to your dreams?”

Liz’s gaze snapped to his and she smiled at him. “You exceeded my expectations.”

Klaus scoffed and kissed her temple. “I should hope so.”

Someone cleared their throat behind them and Klaus’ wings flared out to shield Liz. He peered over his shoulder to find Randy standing at the back of the room leaning against the wall.

“What?” Klaus growled.

“You’re needed in the war room, it’s urgent,” Randy replied. 

“Fine.”

“Don’t get your feathers ruffled. I didn’t see anything.” Randy turned on his heel and began to stroll out of the room. “I would mask your scents before you come before the council, though. I can smell both of your hormones from here.”

A snarl erupted from Klaus and Randy’s laugh echoed as he left the room. Liz retrieved her underwear from the floor and slipped them on. Klaus ran a hand through his hair in frustration and offered a hand to Liz to help her stand. The hem of her skirt fell to the floor and she adjusted her dress. 

“Let’s go.” Klaus took a deep breath.

“Where are we going?”

“To see my council of demons. Apparently, I’m needed for a meeting,”

Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. They disappeared in a puff of smoke.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW content in this chapter. It starts at “We are. I’m simply pointing out that it could be a possibility.” and goes until the end of that section.
> 
> Also, there is mild violence in this chapter (broken bones, things like that). It’s nothing super graphic but I thought I would mention it anyway.
> 
> Music inspiration: “Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys, “My Name is Liar” by Highasakite, “Wreak Havoc” by Skylar Grey.

Klaus rubbed his temples as he listened to two of his commanders argue. Apparently, some of the demons had found a hole in the defenses of the underworld and escaped to the surface. The damage had been repaired but now four hundred demons were roaming the earth. Vincent had assembled his officers to see if they could come up with a plan to hunt them all down. 

Klaus had been in this meeting for two and a half hours and he was tempted to just dive off the balcony and fly away. He sent Liz out of the room an hour ago when he realized how bored she had gotten. He didn’t blame her at all, he was tired of listening to his council as well.

“Enough.” Klaus glared at both of the demons. “I don’t care how you accomplish it, just get it taken care of. Check the wards around the underworld and make sure there aren’t any other holes. Then gather a search party to track everyone down. Notify me when you have a lead and I’ll help. We’re done for the day.” 

He stood and the demons bowed their heads respectively. He thanked them and walked out of the room, his cloak swirling around him menacingly. After entering the hallway and closing the doors behind him he snapped his fingers. His cloak disappeared and his wings appeared and stretched behind him. The width of the hallway wasn’t wide enough for him to stretch them to their full length but it felt good to not have to hide them anymore. 

In reality, he didn’t have to hide them from the demons. He could hold council meetings with them in plain sight if he wished, but he found the demons respected him a little more when they weren’t reminded that he was an archangel. 

If it helped his time in the underworld a little then he guessed he didn’t mind having to hide them.

At the end of the hallway, he vanished and reappeared in his rooms. He loosened his tie and took a step when he suddenly heard a noise on the balcony. He tensed and sniffed the air. A familiar scent washed over him and he sighed. It was just Liz.

He made his way outside and found her leaning against the railing of the balcony, reading a book. “Why are you out here?” He held his hand out and a blanket appeared in his hands. He draped it over her and she smiled up at him. His breath hitched as he looked into her eyes and he shook his head to clear it. Her eyes always had that affect on him.

“I like the smell of the underworld,” Liz replied. “It smells like chypre. Like smoke, spice, and moss. It’s relaxing. Have you ever noticed?”

Klaus thought about it for a minute and shook his head. “Maybe when I first came here, now I think I’m so accustomed to it that I just automatically tune it out. It’s freezing out here, though. You should really come inside.”

“Klaus I lived in a small cottage that was not very warm in the winter I’m used to the cold. I don’t mind it.” She wrapped the blanket around her legs and Klaus frowned at her statement.

“Did you struggle? You were so young and you were on your own.” Klaus tilted his head.

Liz chewed her lip as she thought. “I did but I always made it. A lot of the villagers helped me as much as they could but resources were scarce in the winter. So I was cold and hungry a lot.” 

For some reason, that really bothered Klaus. The bargain between the two of them would’ve been in effect. Would he have saved her from starvation? If he was honest with himself the answer would’ve been no.

While he was bound to protect her from supernatural forces, there was nothing in their bargain about death by natural causes, though. Their deal was very gray and he could easily manipulate it if it meant getting her soul.

Starvation was one of those gray areas. Her body would’ve alerted him that she was in danger but he could’ve ignored it. If he had even been paying attention to her in the first place. He probably wouldn’t have realized her suffering until she was dead and then he would’ve just collected her soul without a second thought.

He was very aware of how much he had changed in the past few months and it was all due to Liz. Klaus was glad that she had softened him a little. He reached out and stroked Liz’s cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch for a moment and wrinkled her eyebrows in concern.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Klaus pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Just thinking about the past. What are you reading?”

Liz blushed at his question and Klaus grinned. “What are you reading, Liz?” He snatched the book from her and laughed when he read the title. “You’re studying angel biology and anatomy? Any particular reason?”

“Well, I realized that I hardly ever see you eat and I know you don’t sleep often so I was looking up information. Can you really go days without food and sleep?” Liz asked.

“I can, which I do frequently. I try to eat or sleep a little every day but between pretending to be a student, performing my duties here, hunting Seraphim, being an Archangel, and making time for you, I don’t have a lot of time for myself. Not that spending time with you is a burden, it’s just difficult to cram everything into 24 hours.” Klaus shrugged. “Any other questions?”

“Oh, there is a lot.” Liz grinned and Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Let’s go inside and sit down somewhere comfortable. I have some paperwork to do and I would prefer to do that at a desk and not on the floor of the balcony. You can ask me your questions while I work.” Klaus offered Liz a hand and pulled her to her feet. 

“I hope you’re studying more than my biology, like your academic subjects. Have you worked on homework at all this weekend?”

Liz gaped at his back. “Are you honestly reminding me about school right now? We aren’t on campus you don’t have to pretend to care about my grades.”

“I’m not pretending. I do care.” Klaus shot her an unimpressed look over his shoulder. “You wanted to go to the academy. Well, now you’re there so you need to make sure you do well and graduate.”

“Fine. I’ll look over my work tonight before class tomorrow. New subject please.” Liz grumbled. Klaus chuckled at her tone and Liz squeezed his hand.

They made their way inside and Klaus settled down at his desk and pulled Liz into his lap. He placed his chin on her shoulder so he could see his papers and looped his arms around her so he could work. He squeezed her waist and Liz tensed at the unexpected touch.

“This hardly seems efficient,” Liz commented after a minute. Klaus buried his nose in her neck and sighed.

“It isn’t, but your scent is soothing. Ask me questions, this is mindless work so I don’t really have to pay attention to what I’m doing.” Klaus breathed in her scent and his breath on Liz’s neck made her squirm.

“Okay, this isn’t really about biology but I’m curious about votums.” Liz sat her book down on the desk. “I don’t really understand them.”

“Well, we don’t really understand them either, they are ancient magic created by the gods. There isn’t really anything complicated about them, though. They are to us what wedding bands are to humans.” Klaus shrugged.

“I know, but Amelia and Elaine said they just magically appear and they don’t come off unless you break your eternal vow. What did that mean? Are they restricting? Do they hurt?” Liz wondered.

“I can’t really speak from experience because I’ve never had one but I don’t think they hurt, they aren’t restricting it’s just like wearing a necklace or any other type of jewelry. They are a part of us. I’ve heard that people don’t even notice they are there half the time. We can also make them vanish, kind of like I do with my wings.” Klaus said.

“I have questions about that trick in a minute but I’ll continue with the votums. What is an eternal vow?” 

“Essentially just marriage vows. Eternal vows to Archangels are a little more complex. Their significant other promises to support their position, and help them make decisions. Typically archangel’s husbands or wives are their second in command and the spouse receives a sliver of their power.” Klaus said.

“Does Elaine have some of Sebastian’s power even though she’s not his second in command?” Liz wondered.

“She does. She controls wind and light and those are gifts from him.”

“Okay,” Liz was quiet for a moment as she processed the information. She opened the book in front of her and turned to the first bookmarked section. “This is about to get super personal, is that okay?”

“Liz, I just had my head between your legs a few hours ago. I think we’re past being embarrassed.” Klaus smirked.

“Fine,” Liz glared at him but he just blinked at her while he waited for her to continue. “It says here that angles have different stamina than humans. I also noticed some differences in your internal organs. Care to elaborate?”

“We can run faster, for longer. We’re powerful, our strength is more than humans. Our respiratory system is more complex so I don’t have to breathe as often and I can hold my breath for a very long time. Our bones are different; they’re stronger than yours but they don’t weigh us down and don’t hinder our flight. We have claws that retract into our fingers and feet and are as strong as steel. Then there are the fangs that also retract into the jaw. Archangels have horns, but those don’t really function as anything. They are mainly just something that sets us apart.” He replied.

“That’s not entirely true.” Liz flipped to another section of the book and blushed. “It says here that your horns can be an erogenous zone. It differs from archangel to archangel.”

Klaus was quiet for a moment. “That’s correct and if we’re going to go ahead and dive into this subject then you should know my stamina is different in that regard as well. I can have sex multiple times before I’m completely sated and my refractory period is quick.”

“So, you’re basically telling me that when and if we ever have sex I’m going to be very tired.”

Klaus chuckled. “Yes.”

“Okay, moving on to wings.” Liz blushed again and Klaus smirked. She cleared her throat and shifted in his lap. His grip on his pen tightened but he kept working. “There wasn’t a lot of information on them so I’m going off of what I know about birds. Do you molt?”

“I do, but only at a certain time of the year,” Klaus said.

“Is it the same every year?” 

“Yes, molting occurs after the winter and is usually triggered by the end of mating season, which is the winter for angels and demons. My molting isn’t drastic I’ll just lose some feathers here and there. It happens gradually over several months that way it won’t affect my flight.” Klaus paused.

“Sometimes I’ll stress molt though and that process is fast, messy, and inconvenient. If that ever occurs then I’m generally grounded until it’s over and you want to steer clear of me. I’m not a happy man when I’m grounded. Stress molting doesn’t happen often, though. In fact, it has only happened about ten times in my very long life.” Klaus replied.

“How often do you care for your feathers?”

“It differs from angel to angel. I would personally like to clean my feathers every day but I don’t have a lot of time. I typically clean them every other day.” 

“How do you clean them?” Liz turned around in Klaus’ lap so she could look back at him. “They can’t be easy to reach.”

“Spouses help each other preen, if you’re without a spouse then there are attendants in the heavens trained to help. I typically just call an attendant to help me with the ones I can’t reach.”

A thought occurred to Liz and she chewed her lip. Klaus pressed a kiss to her temple. “What is it?”

“If you teach me, I could help with your wings.”

Klaus failed to hide his surprise at her offer and then he smiled at her. He rested his head against her shoulder again and nibbled at the flesh there. “You would do that?”

“Yes, I’m immensely curious about them.” Liz reached out to touch one and then pulled her hand back. “I never asked but does it bother you when I touch them?”

“No one touches my wings unless it’s an attendant…but you can be the exception to that rule,” Klaus said slowly. Liz smiled and waited for him to continue. “I’m going to be a little jumpy until I get used to the casual touches but you can touch my wings as much as you want. Just don’t approach me from the back to do it. Make sure I see you walking around me. That way I don’t lash out.”

“Sorry, I touched them earlier when we were in bed,” Liz said.

“Like I said this morning, if I had a problem with it then I would’ve stopped you. How curious are you to learn about preening?” Klaus asked after a moment of tense silence.

“Very.”

“Let’s go then.” Klaus gently shoved her off of his lap and stood. He walked off towards the back of his quarters and Liz followed him.

A large piece of frosted glass divided the room. Klaus led her behind it and into another section of his quarters. The walls of the room were carved out of rough black rock, almost as if it had been carved out of the earth itself. On the other side of the room where a wall should have been, stood several large arches. They opened the room up to a balcony that overlooked the dark expanse of the underworld. Despite the openness of the room, it was warm and cozy.

In the corner of the space sat a large sunken pool, the perfect size to accommodate wings when they were extended to their full length. A waterfall ran up the side of one of the walls and flowed gently into the pool. The crystal clear water shimmered in the moonlight and steam wafted from its surface. Klaus walked over to it and dipped a hand in the water to check the temperature. When he was satisfied with the heat he stood and turned to face her.

He extended one of his wings and Liz marveled at the sight of the glossy black feathers. He reached out and pulled her to him slowly, allowing her to get close enough to inspect his wing. “I know that you probably know the anatomy of birds wings but mine are slightly different. So, I’m going to go over the structure of my wing with you, just to be safe. The feathers on my wings are called flight feathers.”

Klaus pointed towards the smaller softer feathers that stretched from the radius bone of his wing and ran about halfway down the surface of it. “Those contour feathers are called “coverts.” They help with airflow and there are several layers of them. There are also down feathers under the contour feathers that help keep me warm or cool depending on the weather.”

Liz reached out slowly and glanced at Klaus to make sure he was okay with what she was doing. He nodded his assent and she ran her hand across the silky texture. A shiver went up Klaus’ spine and Liz immediately pulled her hand away.

“It’s fine.” Klaus smiled at her. “The inside of my wing is a little sensitive. You tickled me.”

Liz laughed and touched him again. “Go on.”

Klaus motioned to the large straight feathers located underneath the covert feathers. “These flight feathers are divided into three sections. Primaries, Secondaries, and tertiaries. The primaries are the first ten feathers on the outside of my wing, the secondaries are the twelve feathers after that, and the tertiaries are the feathers after the secondaries. The flight feathers are responsible for lift and thrust.”

“What normally happens during a preening? Is it like a bird as well? I know when birds preen they pick out dust and debris.” Liz stepped closer to Klaus’ extended wing. She was surprised at the heat that radiated from it and she wanted to curl into his side and have him wrap his wing around her. Liz leaned down without thinking and pressed a kiss to Klaus’ wing. He stiffened and Liz glanced up at him.

“You’re right,” Klaus replied, his voice stiff. “Any loose barbules need to be reconnected and each feather needs to be realigned for optimal waterproofing, insulation, and to make them more aerodynamic. I also remove rough sheaths from newly molted feathers. It helps them align with the other feathers quicker. Usually preening consists of me wetting my feathers, and then someone else connecting loose barbules, aligning feathers, and then brushing them with oil. That’s usually all I need unless my wings have been damaged for some reason.”

“Okay, I definitely feel like I can help you with that.” Liz nodded and Klaus leaned forward and kissed her softly. They had only kissed a few times and it took Liz by surprise. He curled his wing slightly and it forced her to step closer to him.

His lips were gentle against hers and she found herself leaning into him in an attempt to deepen the kiss. He pulled away too quickly and she pouted at him. “If you’re going to help me preen then we need to stop kissing.”

“Or we could just continue kissing,” Liz suggested.

Klaus snorted and rolled his eyes. “After you help me then I’ll kiss you as much as you want.”

“Deal.”

Klaus walked over to a shelf and picked up a soft bristled brush and a jar with some liquid in it. He sat it on the edge of the tub and turned to face Liz.

“So…how do we do this?” Liz finally asked.

“Well, I could get in and wet my feathers and then get out or you could join me in the bathtub,” Klaus smirked.

“Join you?” Liz’s voice squeaked and Klaus’ smile widened.

“It’s up to you but I’m going to get water all over you so you might as well get in with me,” Klaus said.

Liz squared her shoulders and walked towards him. “Fine, let’s get in.”

Klaus’ eyes lit up and Liz smiled at his reaction. “Was that the answer you were hoping for?”

“Oh absolutely,” Klaus replied. He snapped his fingers and his shirt disappeared. Liz imagined it was easier than having to remove it over his wings. She reached up to the buttons of her own shirt and began to unbutton them. While she worked she studied him.

He was in impeccable shape but with all the fighting and hunting he did that wasn’t really a surprise. What was a surprise though were the amount of scars across his chest and arms. There was a particularly nasty one stretched across his left peck, right over his heart.

“What did that?” Liz pointed to it and Klaus frowned down at his chest.

“To be honest, I don’t remember. Probably a demon, I think that one happened just after I started ruling the underworld.” Klaus inspected himself.

“What about the ones on your arms?” Liz wondered. To her surprise, Klaus actually blushed and Liz leaned forward. “Why are you blushing?”

“Because the answer is not as exciting as, “I got my scars from a pack of demons” something way less vicious gave me those scars.”

“How did you get them then? I’m intrigued.” Liz reached for the zip of her skirt and let the material fall to her ankles. She stepped out of it and stood in front of Klaus in just her underwear. His eyes darkened, not yet to the solid black he sometimes sported, but they were close.

“Hellhound puppies are aggressive. They like to scratch and bite when they play. That is what the majority of the scars on my arms are from.” Klaus answered after a minute. His eyes roamed Liz’s body and she flushed at the attention.

“It’s going to be hard for you to get into the bath with your pants on.” Liz pointed out and Klaus’ eyes snapped to hers.

“Then why don’t you remove them?” He challenged.

Liz swallowed thickly but took a step closer to him. She held his gaze as she reached for his belt, her fingers grazing the smooth leather of it. “Are you this demanding with your attendant?”

“No,’ Klaus chuckled softly. “I like to watch you squirm. Nudity isn’t a big deal to angels or demons. In fact, in the heavens, we spar and train in the nude most of the time, unless there are weapons involved. So, seeing your reaction is entertaining.”

“Hmm, remind me to accompany you to the heavens if you ever go for training,” Liz smirked.

“I completed my combat training long ago but every five hundred years the archangels and their seconds get together to compete in various events. The last one that was held occurred before I was crowned, in fact, another competition should be coming up in the next eighty years or so.” Klaus reached up and ran his fingers through Liz’s hair. He inhaled the scent of her and Liz closed her eyes at his touch.

After a minute she opened them again and unbuttoned his pants. “Well, I’ll probably be dead by then which is a shame. That is something I would have loved to see.”

“Well, if those visions of yours come true then maybe you will,” Klaus said casually.

Liz froze at his words. “I thought we were going to ignore the visions for the time being.”

“We are. I’m simply pointing out that it could be a possibility.” Klaus shrugged. He stepped away from her then and unzipped his pants before hooking his thumbs in the belt loops and pulling them down his hips. 

Now they were standing in front of each other in nothing but their underwear. Liz felt her cheeks heat as she surveyed him from head to toe. She took in every line and contour of his body. The way his muscles shifted fascinated her and she found that she wanted to run her hands over every inch of him.

She turned away from him and walked over to a set of counters. She removed her earrings and other jewelry and sat them on the smooth black and white marble surface. She heard the water splash as Klaus stepped into the pool and she took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Liz reached behind herself and unhooked her bra before sliding the lacy straps down her shoulders. The silky material skimmed her arms and goosebumps rose on her flesh. Klaus had already seen her naked from the waist down so she didn’t understand why she was so nervous. She took a calming breath and slipped out of her underwear before turning to walk into the pool.

She spied Klaus and her heart leaped into her throat.  Klaus was standing under the spray of the waterfall letting the water coat his body and wings. The water lapped at his waist and she admired his oblique muscles. Liz longed to see all of him. She found herself in awe of his hard, lean frame as he stood naked before her. She tried to tear her gaze from the pale outline of his magnificent form, but it was no use. He glanced over his shoulder and caught her staring at him.

A devilishly handsome grin spread across his features at her expression before he realized she was naked as well. His eyes roamed over her again and Liz took a step towards him. 

“What now?”

He ran his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it off of his face. He turned his back on Liz and folded his arms on the smooth edge of the pool. He relaxed further into the water until his wings were eye level with her and he spread them to their full length. The tips of his flight feathers were submerged into the water and Liz admired his shoulders and backside. She liked this view.

“Gently run your fingers through all of my feathers and pick out any loose ones. I would appreciate it if you could talk to me while you do it.” 

Liz stepped closer to him and ran her hand across the top of the radius and humerus bones of his wings. A shiver went up Klaus’ spine and then his body instantly relaxed. He sunk lower into the water and she saw him lay his head on his arms and close his eyes.

Her fingers drifted through the soft feathers and Klaus arched into her touch. His wings were so silky and smooth. She spent a few minutes just petting him before she got to work. “So, tell me. What age do angels learn to fly?” Liz asked.

Klaus was silent and for a minute and Liz wondered if he had fallen asleep. When he finally spoke his voice was rough. “Around ten years of age.”

“How does that happen?” Liz wondered as she carefully inspected each feather to make sure the barbules were connected. Up close she realized that Klaus’ feathers had a slight purple and gold tint when the light hit them just right. She made sure she was gentle as she aligned and arranged the feathers.

“It’s hard to explain,” Klaus replied. “It’s instinctive, you just know that when you dive off of that cloud for the first time that your wings are going to work. They teach us early on how to read weather patterns and wind currents so when the actual flying occurs its just…simple.”

“Could you take me flying again?” Liz asked him. She smiled as she thought about the possibility. “I flew with you once on the way back from the heavens but you were mad at me and I was sleepy. I don’t remember a lot of it.”

“I would love to.” Klaus breathed. His voice was hoarse and Liz smirked.

“Relaxed are we?”

“Very much so,” Klaus replied.

Liz finished both wings and waded back a step to admire her handiwork. Each feather was in its place and the loose feathers and down had been removed from his plumage. His wings were rather beautiful. “How do I distribute the oil? Do you want me to put it on the brush or apply it with my hands?”

“Put it on with your hands and then use the brush to make sure it coats each feather evenly,” Klaus replied quietly.

Liz reached around him to pick up the jar of oil on the side of the pool. She removed the lid and rubbed the oil into her palms. It had a strong eucalyptus and pine scent and she found it very soothing. She started at the top of his wings and slowly began to work the oil over his feathers.

A low growl rumbled in Klaus’ chest at the attention and Liz pressed a kiss to his back. His breath hitched and a wine escaped his lips as she peppered kisses down his spine.

“Liz.” Klaus’ voice was strained in warning. “I’m trying very hard to be good and you are making that difficult.”

Klaus’ sentence broke off into a moan when Liz began to brush his feathers. His muscles twitched and he hissed through his teeth. She smoothed the oil over his feathers and the calming scent of pine filled the air.

“Are you always this excited when you get groomed?” Liz chuckled.

“Gods no.” Klaus breathed out a laugh. “I think it’s just because it’s you with your hands on me. I didn’t think you would have this much power over me.”

“Roll over and I’ll get the underside of your wings, Klaus.” He obeyed her and sunk lower into the water. He laid his head back against the tile and closed his eyes again.

Liz admired the column of his throat and his wide shoulders. Like this, she was free to inspect his body and she was eager to do so. She ran a finger over the scar on his chest and he cracked an eye open.

“That’s not my wing, Liz,” Klaus smirked.

“Are you telling me I can’t explore?” Liz raised an eyebrow in question.

Klaus shrugged and shut his eyes again. “Go ahead but turnabout is fair play. If you get to look me over then I get to explore you later and I plan to take my time with you.”

Liz blushed at his comment but continued to stroke the planes of his chest. “Fine with me.”

He cracked a lazy grin and reached out to pinch her side gently. “Looking forward to it.” Liz squirmed and Klaus laughed.

Liz picked up the brush and began to spread the oil over the inside of his wing. Klaus’ hands found her hips and he squeezed them every time she moved the brush down his feathers. He groaned at the sensation and Liz watched the muscles in his arms, chest, and neck shift. His wings twitched and he dug his fingernails into her flesh. Not enough to hurt just enough to let her know that he _really enjoyed_ what she was doing.

“I think I like getting this kind of reaction out of you,” Liz said.

“You’re getting more of a reaction out of me than you realize,” Klaus replied. He motioned to his body and Liz’s eyes drifted to his waist. Her eyes widened when she spied his rather impressive erection and she snapped her gaze to his face. She sat the brush down on the edge of the pool and placed her hand on his hip. She was curious about his body and he had told her that he didn’t mind if she explored.

She reached out and wrapped her hand around his erection. He automatically thrust into her hand, a sigh escaping his lips and Liz gave him an experimental stroke. 

His head fell back against the tile and his body arched towards her. Yes, she definitely liked his response to her touch. 

Liz knew what a man’s body looked like. While she primarily cared for animals back in her village, she had studied the human body and a little bit of medicine as well. She had seen pictures and knew the parts of the male anatomy.

It still didn’t prepare her for the feel of him. He was solid beneath her hand but his skin was velvety smooth. She gripped him and gave him a squeeze as she tested the firmness of him. 

He let a breath out through his teeth and bucked into her hand. Her thumb drifted over the sensitive head of his erection and the muscles in his stomach clenched. Liz watched, enamored by the sight of his body reacting to her.

Her mind suddenly drifted to the throne room and the events earlier that day. An idea began to form in her mind. “Sit on the edge of the pool.”

Klaus lifted his head to give her a questioning glance but did as she commanded. She settled in between his legs and his eyes widened when he realized what she was about to do. 

She trailed kisses over his inner thigh, sucking, biting, and licking her way to Klaus’ hips. She sucked on the narrow bone of his hip leaving a small purple mark on him. 

Liz smiled in satisfaction at the sight and then glanced up at him. His eyes were on hers but the violet color that had been present there had disappeared. His eyes were solid black like obsidian and his hands were white knuckled as he gripped the edge of the pool. 

Liz leaned forward, making sure to keep eye contact, and let her tongue tentatively swirl around the tip of him. Her tongue drifted around the ridge of the head of his cock slowly and he moaned at the pace she was setting. 

A small bead of moisture fell into her mouth and she gently ran her tongue over his slit to collect it. She pressed the flat of her tongue to the underside of his erection and licked him at a torturously slow pace. Klaus growled, his head lulling back, the sound that left his mouth was pure _need_.

Liz’s lips closed around him and she sucked gently. She did not expect the jolt of desire that echoed through her at the sound of his growl. She peered up the hard plane of his body and watched him as she moved him deeper into her mouth. 

She always thought Klaus was attractive but seeing him like this awed her. He was flushed and panting, his eyes squeezed shut. He was one of the most powerful beings in existence and she was taking him apart piece by piece with just her mouth.

Klaus leaned forward and threaded his fingers into her hair and pulled. Liz moaned at the pain but she found that she didn’t find it unpleasant. She took him in a little deeper and wrapped her hand around the part of him she couldn’t take in.

“I need you to move, love.” Klaus’ voice was strained. “Start moving that mouth of yours or I will start thrusting.”

Liz very gently grazed his cock with her lips as she pulled back from him, almost releasing him entirely. Klaus hissed at the sensation and tightened his grip in her hair. Liz obeyed though and sucked on the head of him _hard_. She bobbed her head and began to move on him, her hand working in time with her mouth.

A tremor wracked Klaus’ body like a wave and he bucked his hips. Liz took the thrust but squeezed his hips in silent communication to not do that again. At least not until she was accustomed to his size.

She hollowed her cheeks and swirled her tongue around him as she sent him rocketing towards his orgasm. His thighs clenched next to her ears and she hummed around his erection.

Klaus swore and Liz was supremely satisfied with the fact that she was able to make the god of the underworld swear. His hips snapped forward seeking the friction he so desperately needed. Liz twisted her hand slightly and took him as far into her mouth as she could.

That was all it took. Klaus shifted above her and Liz raked her nails down the planes of his abs, scratching lightly. She watched the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense and a full body spasm rocked through him. He stiffened in her mouth and then his hold on her hair tightened. His slightly taloned fingers pricked at her nape, and a loud gasp escaped his lips. Liz hummed around his hard flesh and the vibration made him growl loudly, and Klaus poured himself inside the warmth of her mouth. Her tongue lapped at him slowly while she took everything he gave her, and helped him ease down from his release.

Liz released him with a pop and sat back to admire her handy work. Klaus was flushed and the rise and fall of his chest was slowing as he caught his breath. Liz was suddenly aware that he was still rock hard in front of her. She eased towards him again but he placed a hand on her chest stopping her.

“Scoot back a little.” He commanded roughly. Liz did as he said and he sunk into the pool. He pulled her over to sit next to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

“Klaus you aren’t finished.” Liz stared up at him.

“No I’m not, I’ve probably still got three more rounds in me but it’s getting late and I don’t want you to be tired for class tomorrow. I’ve had one release so the problem should go away in about ten minutes.” Klaus sighed and kissed her.

He rested his forehead against hers and laughed. “Where in the world did you learn to do that?”

“I did well?” Liz smirked.

“You did.” Klaus gave her a low growl and Liz grinned.

“Well I studied anatomy so I know a man’s body and I’ve read some…erotic novels. I know it’s cheesy but you can learn a lot by reading.” Liz shrugged and Klaus chuckled.

“You can learn even more by experiencing it,” Klaus replied.

“Well, the right person never came along,” Liz said. “I have a feeling you’re really going to enjoy teaching me, though.”

“Oh, I really am.” Klaus nipped at her collarbone and Liz squirmed next to him. He snapped his fingers and a few jars appeared next to them. “Turn around and let me wash your hair. It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me tonight.”

* * *

“We’ve been in here a really long time,” Liz spoke up in the quiet. “I’m pretty sure it’s been at least an hour and a half, if you include the grooming. We should probably get out.”

Liz hummed in contentment as Klaus’ fingers combed through her wet hair. She reclined against his chest, with his legs on either side of her hips, and lazily kicked her feet through the warm water. His fingers rubbed the shell of her ear and skimmed across the skin of her neck before drifting lower.

His thumb grazed across one of her nipples causing it to peak against his touch. Liz threw her head back against his shoulder and gripped his thighs.

Klaus’ posture stiffened and Liz glanced back at him. He had his head tilted like he was listening for something. After a minute his eyes widened and his nostrils flared in anger. 

“What is it?” Liz asked. He gently pushed her off of him and stepped out of the pool. He snapped his fingers and suddenly his armor appeared on his body. He inspected one of the swords at his side and Liz climbed out after him. “Klaus?”

A ripple went through his wings and he shook the water from his feathers.“My older brother just entered the underworld,” Klaus growled. “Stay in my rooms.” 

Liz slipped her clothes on quickly and followed Klaus out into the bedroom. Klaus took a step towards the doors to the hallway when the room exploded in a flash of light. 

When it cleared Sebastian was standing in front of them. He was dressed casually in a white tunic and dark pants. A baldric stretched across his chest and held five gleaming silver daggers. He crossed his arms and his wings stretched out behind him. They were golden and they glittered when the light hit them. His eyes, one violet and one white, fixated on Klaus. 

“Where is my wife?” Sebastian asked shortly.

“Get out,” Klaus snarled. Claws appeared at the tips of his fingers and gleamed like onyx in the lamplight. His canines lengthened to long, fine, points.

“I don’t think so,” Sebastian replied evenly. “Answer the question Nikolaus.”

“She was delivering two souls to damnation but that was hours ago. I assumed she was at home with you. I’ll be happy to escort you out of my realm now.” Klaus smiled and the gesture showed off the sharp points of his teeth.

“As much as I would love to grind your face into the floor,” Sebastian flicked his wrist and long golden claws slid from his fingers with ease. He returned Klaus’ smile but the gesture didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m actually not here to make trouble. Elaine didn’t come home tonight and I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about it.”

“Maybe she just didn’t want to come home to you,” Klaus replied. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“No it wouldn’t but I don’t think that’s the case,” Sebastian said. Liz saw something else flash in the archangel’s eyes and she realized that he was slightly panicked. His posture was tense and his hands twitched at his side. “Ahaz was spotted on the Earth’s surface a few days ago, Klaus. Elaine always lets me know when she is working late, or if she isn’t coming home. She’s done that every day for the last three hundred years. So, it’s a little unsettling that I haven’t heard from her and with the appearance of Ahaz…” Sebastian trailed off. “I’m probably over thinking it but I just want to make sure she’s fine. Humor me.”

Klaus stiffened and the air seemed to grow thick with tension. One of his talons tapped irritably against his armor and the muscle in his jaw shifted. After a minute he spoke again. “Alright, I’ll go check her rooms and the study but she’s not here. I can sense everyone’s presence in my realm and she’s not in the underworld. For the record, I think you’re overreacting.” 

He turned away from Sebastian and gave Liz an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back Liz.”

He grabbed her wrist and held it up so Sebastian could see the cuff there. “If you so much as breathe in her general direction, I will know it. If you upset her or hurt her, I will know and if you do,” Klaus paused and smiled at his brother. “Well, it wouldn’t be your eye that I would take this time around but your life. Don’t test me because I would so enjoy ending your life, Sebastian.”

Sebastian snorted and Klaus vanished in an instant leaving Liz and Sebastian alone. Liz shifted awkwardly and walked over to one of Klaus’ bookshelves to look at his collection. She did her best to ignore the archangel in the room but she couldn’t help gazing up at him every few seconds.

Sebastian had begun to pace the length of the room as he looked around. Finally, his gaze fixated on Liz.

“You are Nikolaus’ little pet, right? I remember you from the council meeting.”

Liz looked up and narrowed her eyes at Sebastian. She bristled at the name ‘pet’ “And you’re the jerk who took Elias’ wings. Yeah, I remember you too. I’m not Klaus’ pet.”

Sebastian’s gaze darkened and then he smirked at her. “Oh? You do realize that you reek of him right now. He’s obviously getting something from you.”

Liz blushed at his comment and chewed her lip. “Just because we are physical doesn’t mean that sex is our whole relationship.” Far from it, Liz thought. They hadn’t even had sex yet but that was none of Sebastian’s business and she would tell him that. “That’s enough about my relationship with Klaus, it’s none of your business.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and he continued to look around. He picked up a book off of the table and began to flip through it. “Now, I understand why Elaine is so taken with you, she talks about you constantly. You aren’t afraid to speak your mind. That could be a foolish mistake depending on who you’re talking to.” He picked up another book and smiled at her.

“Are you threatening me?” Liz asked.

“Gods no,” Sebastian scoffed. “Nikolaus already blinded me in one eye and scarred up my face. I don’t need him to take the other eye or decide to kill me.”

“Well, it’s not like you didn’t deserve it.” Liz shrugged.

Sebastian shifted from foot to foot and shook his head. “Well…you aren’t wrong,” he admitted slowly.

Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise but didn’t comment further. The tension seemed to drain a little from the room and Liz finally allowed herself to really look at Sebastian.

Klaus and the other angels and demons carried a certain presence with them but Sebastian was just _more_. Underneath the young body, he looked tired and ancient. His eyes were hard, unforgiving, and so lethal.

“How old are you?” 

The question left Liz’s mouth before she could stop it and Sebastian glanced over at her. He paused his browsing and wrinkled his eyebrows as he thought.

“I don’t know.” He blew out a puff of air and tilted his head. “Almost five thousand years old I assume.”

Liz blinked at him in disbelief. “How old is the oldest angel?”

“Hmm, Ari the Archangel that acts as the God of Love is over seven thousand years old. My parents and a few other angels are even older. I don’t think we have anyone older than nine thousand, though. I would imagine that there are some demons down here that were around for the creation of the earth and man.” Sebastian replied.

Liz couldn’t even comprehend being as old as the earth. Immortality wasn’t always a blessing it seemed. What would anyone even do with a life that long? She shoved the thought from her mind and focused on another question. “Who is Ahaz?”

Sebastian paused what he was doing and exhaled through his nose angrily. “That is a question you will have to ask Nikolaus. I don’t really want to dive into a history lesson about the war and the major players in it. I’m sure he would be more than happy to tell you about it.”

Liz heard a noise behind them and turned to see that Klaus had reappeared. “She’s not in the underworld Sebastian.” Klaus walked over to another desk and unrolled a map across its surface. He pointed to something and waved Sebastian over. “When she leaves the underworld she always appears on this mountain and then flys to the heavens. I would pick up her scent from there and track her. Do you need any help? I know that area well.”

“No,” Sebastian shook his head. “I’ll manage, although having Cerberus’ nose would come in handy. Would you be willing to loan him out?”

Klaus thought about it for a moment and nodded. He whistled and Cerberus bounded into the room through a portal. He patted the hounds head and Cerberus nosed Klaus’ side. “Go with Sebastian and help him find Elaine. Only help him with tracking Elaine and making sure she’s okay. After you’re done come back here.”

Cerberus nodded and let out an excited bark. He howled and the portal opened back up.

“Lead the way.” Sebastian scratched the dog’s ears and Cerberus took off with Sebastian on his heels.

When they disappeared Klaus instantly relaxed.

“Who is Ahaz?” Liz asked after a tense minute had passed.

“He’s a Seraphim, he was a General in the God’s armies and he’s a nasty piece of work.”

“Sebastian commanded a legion of angels in the army. That’s how he and Elaine met she was one of the Lieutenants under him.” Klaus took a deep breath.

“One night, Sebastian and his forces were ambushed. He lost four hundred angels and one hundred of them were taken, prisoner. Elaine was one of the prisoners. It took Sebastian three months to get her out of Ahaz’s clutches. Ahaz has a sick interest in Elaine. I know I told Sebastian that he might be overreacting but in this case, I don’t think he is. Spouses in my species are attuned to each other. If he feels like something is wrong then it probably is. I just hope he finds her soon.”

After a moment Klaus sighed. “Sebastian said he didn’t need any help but there is no telling what he’s about to walk into. If I’m there then I can guarantee Elaine’s safety. Two archangels are better than one.” Klaus ducked his head and kissed Liz softly. “I’ll be back soon to take you to the school.”

“Be safe.”

Klaus nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Elaine panted as she ran through the darkening forest. Her muscles and lungs burned due to overuse, she felt like she had been running for hours. She probably had been. 

She tried to spread her wings for the hundredth time and winced as pain shot through the left side of her body. She was sure that her left wing was broken. It had been the first thing that the Seraphim had grabbed when it attacked her.

She had landed on the overworld with the intention of flying home. She didn’t even make it off of the ground before seven Seraphim had jumped her. She had escaped into the forest and had been running ever since.

She could hear the beasts behind her moving through the trees and they smelled like decay. They smelled like him. An involuntary shiver went up her spine as scenes from the war and Ahaz flooded her mind.

No. She couldn’t think about that right now.

She vaulted over a group of bushes and cried out as the movement tugged on her wing. She skidded into a clearing and almost tripped as she changed directions suddenly. 

Taking off into a sprint again she headed towards the tree line when three other Seraphim emerged from the trees and came barreling towards her. A snarl erupted from Elaine’s lips and she bared her fangs at them.

She held her hands out and a short sword appeared in each palm. Elaine took a deep breath and focused on her first target. She knew she couldn’t kill them but maybe she could cut enough of them down so she could escape. If not, well, at least she would go down fighting. She would die before she let them take her to Ahaz.

She tucked her wings against her body as tight as she could and lunged at the nearest Seraphim. She drove her sword through its heart and reveled at the sound of a body hitting the forest floor, even if it was just for a moment. The Seraphim was already rising to its feet, its wound stitching together. She growled and continued to fight her way to the treeline. 

One of the Seraphim reached out and grabbed her broken wing and hauled her to the ground. Her body convulsed at the pain but she didn’t have time to think on it. She threw her blades out in front of her to block the monsters teeth as it snapped towards her neck.

Suddenly a clawed hand appeared at the Seraphim’s neck, the gold talons on the hand gleamed and Elaine smiled. With a violent jerk, the Seraphim disappeared from her vision as its body crumpled to the ground. 

There was Sebastian standing over her, the Seraphim’s spinal column in his grasp. He roared and the forest shook. He crouched over Elaine protectively and snarled, challenging any of the other Seraphim to make a move towards them.

They backed away from Sebastian out of fear and tried to figure out if fighting an archangel was worth it. A few of them crept forward and Sebastian tensed, waiting for their first move.

A rustling of trees drew their attention and they turned to see Cerberus and Klaus run into the clearing. At the sight of another archangel, the Seraphim decided that it would be best to run with their lives intact. 

“Tell Ahaz that if he comes after her again I will burn the world down to find him,” Sebastian spoke in the silence and the Seraphim hissed at him before slithering into the forest. Sebastian waited, tense, until he could no longer hear them before rising from his crouch. “Let me look at your wings.” 

Elaine winced as she rolled over onto her stomach and Sebastian knelt next to her. He inspected her for a few minutes and clicked his tongue. “Klaus go to the heavens and get Theodora down here right now.”

“How bad is it?” Elaine asked after Klaus had shot into the sky and flown away.

“Well, it’s not good, but I’ve seen worse. It just looks like a break which is easily fixable. We’ll wait for Theodora though to make a final diagnosis.” Sebastian said.

“Thank you for coming for me,” Elaine whispered.

“I will always be here Elaine regardless of whatever we’re going through in our personal lives,” Sebastian replied. He looked up when he heard the beat of wings and relaxed when he saw Theodora striding forward, Klaus on her heels.

Theodora took one look at Elaine and frowned. “Cerberus.” Cerberus crept forward tentatively at the call of his name and glanced up at Theodora. “Would you go fetch Liz for me? I’m going to need an extra set of hands.”

Klaus glanced over at Theodora in question and she stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear. Klaus nodded and took a step closer to Sebastian. His brother wasn’t paying attention and didn’t notice the little exchange.

Theodora knelt next Elaine. “I’m going to lift your wing to look at it. It’s going to hurt.”

“Do it,” Elaine said.

Theodora lifted Elaine’s left wing and Elaine cried out. “Sorry, Elaine.” Theodora winced as she looked her friend over. A portal opened up on the other side of the clearing and Cerberus led Liz into the field. She gasped at the sight of Elaine on the ground and ran forward. “Liz kneel next to Elaine’s head please.” Liz sunk down onto the cool wet grass and squeezed Elaine’s hand before letting her go.

“Your wing is broken Elaine, and because of your quick healing it has begun to heal wrong. I’ll have to rebreak it.” Theodora looked up at Klaus. “Now, Nikolaus.” 

Klaus lunged at Sebastian and wrapped his arm around his brother’s throat, hauling him backward. Theodora grasped the top of Elaine’s wing and tugged. A loud snap rang through the clearing and Elaine screamed. Sebastian roared and fought against the hold that Klaus had on him.

“Liz,” Theodora breathed. “Pet her hair, tell her how good she’s being, put her head in your lap. Don’t let her grab you she’s stronger than you and she’ll break your bones.”

Liz did as Theodora told her and began to run her fingers through Elaine’s hair. Elaine sobbed into her lap as Theodora snapped her wing again. Liz tightened her hold on Elaine and whispered words of encouragement while Theodora worked. She petted her hair and Elaine buried her face against LIz’s stomach.

“Not much longer Elaine, hang in there. How are you doing Klaus?”

“I need you to hurry, Theodora.” Klaus hissed through his teeth as he fought to keep Sebastian from lunging at Theodora. “Gods, he’s stronger than I remember.”

Sebastian was feral, he was clawing at Klaus’ arms and trying to buck him off in an attempt to get free. “Stop it.” Klaus tightened his arm around Sebastian’s neck. “Stop, she’s trying to help her. She’s not hurting Elaine just to hurt her, she’s healing her. Fight through your primal instincts of protection and look. Look.” 

Sebastian calmed and relaxed in Klaus’ grip. Klaus didn’t let go of him but Sebastian stopped struggling and watched Theodora with pure loathing in his eyes. His breathing was ragged and he was digging his heels into the earth so hard that he was beginning to make holes. Klaus’ forearms were bleeding from where Sebastian had raked his claws across his brother’s skin in an attempt to break free.

Theodora snapped her fingers and a roll of tape appeared in her palm. “Elaine I need you to stand. Do you think you can manage that?” After a moment Elaine nodded. She pushed herself off of Liz and Theodora helped pull her to her feet. “Extend your right wing for me, dear.”

Elaine did as she was told and Theodora stepped up to her back. “I’m going to fold your left wing into its natural resting place, alright. It’s going to hurt.”

“You just snapped my wing Theodora I don’t think pain really matters anymore,” Elaine growled through clenched teeth.

Theodora patted her shoulder and gently folded Elaine’s injured wing against her back. She taped the wing to her body and ran the tape under the right wing so it wouldn’t be restrained as well. After repeating the process a few times Theodora tied off the bandage and stepped away from Elaine.

“I’m confining you to your bed for two weeks so we can make sure that heals properly.” Elaine nodded and Theodora looked over at Klaus. “Someone else is going to have to help you with the underworld.”

“I’ll manage,” Klaus replied.

Theodora bowed her head and kissed Elaine’s cheek. “Call me if anything feels weird or if your pain increases, alright?” Elaine grimaced and Theodora squeezed her hand. “I’m going to get out of here before Sebastian breaks free and tackles me.”

Theodora lifted off the ground and saluted to Sebastian and Klaus before taking off. Klaus released his brother and Sebastian snarled at him before striding towards Elaine.  He cupped her face in his hands and wiped the tears from her cheeks before kissing her forehead. Elaine curled herself against his side gently and Sebastian kissed the top of her head.

“Take me home.” 

Sebastian scooped her up and batted his wings slowly as he lifted the two of them off the ground. He carefully turned towards the sky and the two of them flew up into the clouds.

Liz watched them go and took a ragged breath to steady her nerves. She looked over at Klaus and smiled faintly at him. “It’s been a really long day.”

Klaus snorted and walked over to her. “It has, sorry about that. Theodora thought it would be good for Elaine to have someone there to comfort her while she worked on her.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad I was able to do something to help. What was with Sebastian’s reaction?” Liz wrapped her arms around Klaus’ neck. Klaus buried his nose in her neck and inhaled her scent.

“When our spouses are hurt we get defensive. He wasn’t in control of his senses. Theodora anticipated it and told me to restrain him, she deals with a lot of injured angels so she understands everyone’s emotions very well. Sebastian’s brain couldn’t tell the difference between Elaine being hurt for medical purposes, and Elaine just being hurt. All he knew was that his wife was in pain and he wanted it to stop.”

“Will she be okay?” Liz looked up into Klaus’ eyes.

“She’ll be fine. Sebastian will take care of her. Come on let’s get you to the Academy and into bed. We both have to wake up early in the morning. I need to sleep again tonight because I have a feeling I’m not going to get much sleep in the net few weeks.” Liz nodded and Klaus teleported them away.

* * *

Liz entered her dorm room a few minutes later and found Amelia there. Her best friend looked completely exhausted and Liz gave her a small smile.

“You look about as tired as I feel.” Amelia sighed.

“I’m exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”

“Where is Cerberus?” Amelia turned off the light and climbed into bed.

“I don’t know if we’ll see him tonight. Some Seraphim just attacked Elaine and I think Klaus was going to try to pick up their trail.” Liz said.

“Is she okay?” Amelia asked urgently.

“She’s fine, she has a broken wing but she’ll be okay in a few weeks. Sebastian took her home.”

“Ah, so you got to talk to Sebastian today? He makes me want to punch things.”

Liz snorted and nodded her head. “That’s a pretty good assessment of his personality.”

After a moment of silence, Liz began to drift off when Amelia's’ voice pulled her from her slumber. “Liz? Why do you smell like Klaus?”

“We’ll talk tomorrow Amelia, until then you’ll just have to wait in suspense.” Liz yawned and Amelia hurled a pillow at her friend’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so freaking excited about the next chapter y’all. It’s a very Elias centered chapter and I’m so in love with it already. Three more WH characters enter the fray and things are about to get interesting. :D


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any mistakes. I wrote the majority of this at 3 a.m. when I couldn't sleep. Thanks for the wonderful comments. :)

Elias walked through the woods surrounding the academy, enjoying the night air. The temperature was crisp outside and it was bordering on cold. Wind whipped through the trees and an involuntary shiver went up his spine. The night was peaceful and he took a deep breath as he attempted to calm his racing mind.

It was the first and only relaxing moment he had that day. With Elaine confined to the heavens, Klaus was left to run the underworld alone. Which meant Elias was stuck hunting Demons and Seraphim at night with the other horsemen. He didn’t mind, his brother was swamped and if there was something he and the others could do then he was okay with it.  

He stepped into a clearing and found Klaus sitting on a rock a few feet away. He surveyed his brother’s disheveled appearance and shook his head. “You look like hell. When was the last time you slept?”

Klaus narrowed his eyes at Elias’ question. “I appreciate the commentary on my appearance. Sunday.”

“You do realize it’s Thursday right?” Elias raised an eyebrow in question.

“I know what day it is Elias.” Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose. “How’s the hunting going?”

“Phaedon, Theodora, and Karina are switching off nights and helping us hunt since we need an archangel to kill the Seraphim. They currently have a competition going about who can kill the most. Theodora is winning.” 

“That’s not surprising.” Klaus snorted.

“Vincent isn’t hunting with us instead he’s rounding up the stray demons, he’s found 239 of them. The hell hounds are helping him with that. Most of the demons have come quietly, he’s had to put twenty feral ones down because they refused to return to the underworld.” Elias sighed. “There is one other thing, Randy was checking on the wards around the Academy last night and the ones Randolph has in place won’t hold out the Demons or Seraphim if they decided to attack the school.”

“Then tell Randy to reinforce them.” Klaus shrugged. 

“Randolph is brilliant Klaus, you know this. He’s going to know the instant someone starts messing with the wards around the school. Randy can’t reinforce them without Randolph being able to trace his magic.” Elias said.

“Then what does Randy suggest?”

“Well,” Elias took a deep breath. “Vincent, Amelia, Randy, and I were discussing it and we think it’s time to tell Randolph what’s going on. He needs to be aware of what’s lurking in his woods so he can make sure the students are safe.”

Klaus took a deep breath and ran his hand down his face. “That would mean revealing what we are to him. I don’t know Elias. The archangels stay hidden for a reason and humans don’t know the extent of the monsters that exist on the earth. I don’t really like pulling back the curtain to give humans glimpses into divine existence. Magic is one thing; angels, demons, and the supernatural are on a whole other level.”

“You really think that Randolph is going to run off and tell the whole world about the inner workings of heaven? To be honest, I think since we’ve been secretly using his school as a base then we owe it to him. He needs to know.” Elias said. “He’s got secrets that we’re aware of because we’re divine and we’re all knowing. He’s immortal Klaus do you really think angels are going to shock him? Maybe we should level the playing field a little and reveal ourselves. He would be a great asset.”

Klaus groaned and shook his head. “Fine. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I’m supposed to be sick in bed in my dorm room right now, that was the only way I could be absent from my prefect duties and not raise suspicion. I don’t think “I’ve got to miss this week because I’m too busy ruling Hell” would’ve been a good excuse. I’ll magically feel better tomorrow and arrange a meeting with him.”

“It would make our lives a little easier if he knew,” Elias pointed out. Then he smiled at his brother. “And before you ask, Liz is doing well, I think she misses you a little. I don’t understand why anyone would miss you, but who am I to judge?”

Klaus rolled his eyes. “Well, you have spent the last thousand years with me so the novelty has probably worn off. Thank you for keeping me posted, I might try to go see her tonight. How’s her training after school going?”

“Vincent and Amelia are teaching her and she’s doing really well actually. Her spells are a lot stronger. How’s Elaine, have you talked to her?”

“She’s fine. She’s getting a little stir crazy, she doesn’t like being idle and she’s bored. She’s been sending me little notes constantly asking if there is anything she can do. I sent her a giant stack of paperwork so that should occupy her and take some of the work off of me.” Klaus said. “She’s trying to convince Theodora to let her out of bed.”

“Good luck Elaine.” Elias chuckled.

Klaus paused for a moment and glanced over at Elias. “I have a favor to ask you and you aren’t going to like it.”

“Then don’t ask.” Elias narrowed his eyes at his brother.

“I’m desperate Elias, there’s an archangel meeting tomorrow-”

“Absolutely not, Klaus.” Elias interrupted before Klaus could even finish his sentence. “No.”

“Listen, I know you haven’t been back to the heavens since the day you left and I completely understand why. I _can’t_ go to this meeting, though. Souls are piling up, I’m now dealing with the day to day operations of the underworld since Elaine isn’t there. I have to answer prayers and tend to the garden of souls, do paperwork, and help coordinate the hunts for Seraphim and Demons. Elaine can’t get out of bed for another week, so she can’t go. The underworld won’t have any representation if you don’t attend the meeting.” Klaus crossed his arms across his chest and waited for Elias to speak.

“Klaus, I have no right to speak in those meetings. I’m not an angel. Not anymore.” Elias said quietly.

“No, but you used to be. You know the politics and most of the archangels. I’ve already talked to Moira and she’s going to recognize your position and allow you to speak and be a part of the meeting. I also know for a fact that Sebastian won’t be present if that sways your answer at all.” Klaus said.

“It does actually.” Elias let out a breath and closed his eyes. “You’re sure there is no one else that can do this and you’re one hundred percent positive that Sebastian won’t be there?”

“There is no one else and I know he won’t be there. Elaine can’t do anything on her own right now and there is no way he’s going to let anyone else care for her. I’ve already spoken to his second in command and Orestes confirmed that Sebastian would not be there.”

“Okay.” Elias nodded slowly. “I’ll do it. How am I getting there? I can’t exactly fly up to the heavens.”

“Phaedon is going to meet you up on the overworld and fly you there. He’ll walk you all the way to the meeting room as well so he can be a buffer in case you run into anyone you don’t want to talk to. Theodora also suggested that you take Liz along with you as moral support.” Klaus replied.

“Taking Liz would absolutely help and I’m sure having a demon and a human sitting in on the meeting will drive the council nuts,” Elias smirked.

“Without a doubt.” Klaus scoffed. “Thank you, I owe you.”

“Oh, you owe me big time. I’ll think of something I’m sure. Are you going to go see Liz or are you going back to the underworld?”

“As much as I would love to see Liz, I need to get back to work. Bring her to the underworld after the council meeting tomorrow and maybe I can see her then.”

Elias nodded and held his hands out. His claws slowly slid from his fingertips and he sighed. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to relax his body a little. “We’re about to hunt are you sure you don’t want to come for a little while? It would lower your stress levels if you got out of your human form for a bit.”

Klaus tilted his head and thought about it. He ruffled his hair and rubbed his eyes before looking at Elias again. “I think I will. I need to blow off some steam and the hunt would go a little faster if I was there. Who’s night is it to help out?”

“Karina. I was just about to go and meet her and the others.” 

Klaus’ body tensed as his wings appeared at his back and unfurled. “Let’s go,”

The two of them were about to walk into the forest when they heard the bushes rustling on the other side of the clearing. Klaus raised his head and sniffed the air before sighing and rolling his eyes. He picked at his talons absent-mindedly and spoke up. “I know you’re there Mr. Orlem. You might as well show yourself.”

They waited for a moment and then Luca stepped from the tree line. For a moment he looked at them wearily but then he seemed to gather himself. He smirked at the two of them and buried his hands deep in his pockets as he approached them. “Lovely night isn’t it?”

“What are you doing in the woods, Luca?” Klaus asked.

“Well, I guess I could ask you the same question. I noticed you and Elias and a few other students spend a great deal of time in the woods, especially at night. I got curious and decided I would follow.” Luca shrugged. 

“How did you not hear him following you?” Klaus turned to Elias.

“I wasn’t really paying attention, you didn’t hear him either.” Elias pointed out.

“I’m sure the school would be interested to know that the Prefect and one of the Academy's top students are possessed by demons.” Luca smiled at them.

Klaus and Elias looked at each other and then burst into a fit of laughter. “Possessed, that's funny,” Klaus smirked and shook his head. “We better get going, Elias. Erase his memory of the last thirty minutes and get him back to the dorm. I’ll go track down the others and meet you for the hunt.”

Klaus spread his wings and shot into the sky. Elias watched him go and then turned his gaze on Luca. He held out his hand towards the man and Luca threw his hands out in front of him. “Wait!”

“Why? You’ve seen me with my claws out and Klaus with his wings. I can’t let you walk away knowing that we aren’t human. What if you told someone?” Elias tilted his head.

“What if I promised to keep your secret?” Luca shrugged.

“Please, like I could trust you with this information.” Elias snorted. “Now, hold still.”

“I’ll do anything you want but I don’t want you to take my memories.” Luca took a step back. “This is really interesting. I’m curious about what is going on and the information might come in handy someday. Why are there demons at the school?”

Elias almost rolled his eyes when something in Luca’s words caught his attention. “You’ll do _anything_?”

“Anything.”

“Make a deal with me then.” Elias crossed his arms across his chest and smirked at Luca. “You see, I can’t let you keep your memories because I can’t guarantee that you’ll keep it a secret, so I’ll offer you a bargain. You get to keep your memories and the knowledge that Klaus and I aren’t human,”

“Awesome.” Luca smiled.

“ _But_ if you tell anyone what you’ve seen or what you know, if you allude to our secret, if you are a factor in anyone finding out about us, then I get to kill you and take your soul.”

“That’s not so awesome.” Luca grimaced.

“That’s your choice, a deal with me, or you forget the last thirty minutes. I don’t exactly have a lot of time either so you need to decide right now.” Elias tapped his claws against his arm as he waited for Luca’s answer.

“Fine, let’s make a bargain.” 

A slow smile spread across Elias’ face. The gesture showed off the fine points of his teeth and Luca found himself taking a step away from Elias.

Elias grabbed Luca’s wrist, his talons scratching the skin lightly. Luca gasped as a burning sensation flashed across his skin. When it stopped, and Elias pulled away there was a gleaming bronze cuff wrapped around his wrist.

“What’s this?” Luca held his wrist up and glared at Elias.

“It’s a mark of sorts. I’ll answer your questions tomorrow, I have to go join the others.” At his words, a howl echoed through the forest and Elias sighed. He grabbed Luca’s arm again and teleported them away from the clearing.

“What are you doing?” Luca hissed.

Elias didn’t reply and vanished again leaving Luca alone. Luca rolled his eyes and then stuck his tongue out at the space that Elias had just vacated.

* * *

 

Liz laid her head down on her desk and kicked her feet in frustration. She was so tired. She had barely heard from Klaus the entire week and when she did it was just a quick little note stating that he was fine, just busy. Amelia was hunting Seraphim at night and Cerberus was helping track down demons. She was alone in the dorm room and she found it too quiet to sleep.

Liz couldn’t really complain, though, all she had to worry about was school. Her friends, on the other hand, were busy dealing with life threatening issues.

She didn’t know when any them were actually sleeping but they seemed to be caring for themselves. Elias and Randy never looked tired and Vincent and Amelia were always in good spirits.

Liz’s visions were getting worse and her dreams were keeping her up at night. When she couldn’t sleep she would go down to the kitchens and bake or make snacks. She would always give some food to Elias in the mornings before class and she would give Amelia and Vincent theirs when they helped her with her magic after school.

Randy was trickier, he was picking up the slack in the Prefect work and when he wasn’t busy with that he was patrolling the permitter of the school for Seraphim. Liz finally just started leaving him snacks in the Prefect’s office in hopes that he would see them and eat.

When the demons were caught and Elaine was cleared to come back to work, things would hopefully slow down again.

She was glad the week was almost over. She received a note from Elias early this morning asking her to go to the heavens with him. She didn’t know why he was suddenly returning to his home but Liz would be there for him. They would leave right after school was finished.

Liz raised her head and stared at the door blankly as she waited for Elias to arrive. Luca walked into the room and smiled at her. She returned the gesture when something on his wrist caught her eye.

No.

It couldn’t be.

He was wearing a cuff that looked very similar to hers, except instead of the onyx material hers was made out of, his appeared to be a gold or bronze color. She shook her head and shoved the thought from her mind. It was probably nothing.

Then Luca passed by her. 

Liz’s cuff heated up and began to shine faintly from where it poked out of her sleeve. She gasped and she could've sworn that she saw Luca's own band glow slightly.

Liz was out of her desk before she could even process her movements. She grabbed Luca by the back of his shirt and dragged him from the crowded classroom.

“Hey! Liz, what are you doing?”

“Get in there. I need to talk to you.” Liz pointed to an empty classroom and Luca smiled at her.

“You know if you wanted to be alone with me you could’ve just asked. You don’t have to manhandle me into an empty classroom, although I wouldn’t mind you getting rough with me.” Luca smirked and Liz gaped at him.

“Oh my god, just get in there.” Liz hissed.

“Fine, fine.” Luca strolled past her and Liz followed him into the deserted room.

“What’s that on your wrist?” Liz demanded.

“A bold fashion choice?” Luca shrugged.

“Don’t get cute with me. I know what it is, who did you make a deal with?” Liz crossed her arms across her chest.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Liz.” Luca blinked at her and Liz sighed.

She reached for her sleeve and pulled the material up to reveal her own cuff. “I do know what I’m talking about because I made a deal with a demon as well. They always mark their prey using a cuff, ring, or brand. My cuff reacted to yours. You made a deal. So, tell me everything.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Luca said honestly.

“What do you mean?” Liz asked.

“I’m not allowed to talk about what I know or my soul gets taken. I don’t know what I can tell you. You figured out the deal on your own but I don’t think I can say anymore.” Luca said.

“Oh, believe me, you can tell me anything and everything. If anyone tries to make a claim on your soul for talking to me about your bargain then I will fight them. It would be really nice to have another human that knows about everything going on.” Liz sighed.

“You mean about how Elias and Klaus are possessed by demons?” Luca sighed. He immediately shut his eyes and hoped that Liz was right about his soul not being taken. When he was determined that Elias wasn’t about to come and kill him he opened them again.

“What do you mean possessed by demons?” Liz asked flatly.

“I saw them last night in the forest. Elias had claws and Klaus had wings. I thought you said you knew about this.” Luca tilted his head.

“Oh, Luca.” Liz shook her head. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into. Klaus and Elias aren’t possessed. They are full blooded demons, well Elias is, they were born in the heavens.”

“What do you mean?” Luca asked.

“Elias is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse and Klaus is the ruler of the underworld. You didn’t make a deal with some low-level demon, you made a deal with a very ancient, divine, being.” Liz winced. “Which one did you make a deal with?”

“Elias, who did you make a deal with?”

“Klaus.”

“Wow, the ruler of the underworld. You don’t do anything half-assed do you?” Luca chuckled and Liz laughed.

“Apparently not.” Liz smiled. “Tell me the stipulations of your bargain.”

“I will if you tell me yours.”

“We’ll talk later when we have more time,” Liz said.

“How did you get caught up in all of this?” Luca wondered.

“It’s a very long story,” Liz said. “Meet me outside of the girl’s dorm tonight at 8 and I’ll answer your questions.”

“Why don’t we just talk right after school?” Luca asked.

“Because I’m going somewhere amazing.”

* * *

 

Klaus appeared in the woods close the academy and reveled in the silence around him. The forest was quiet and he took just a moment to be by himself. He felt like he had been in non-stop meetings for the last seven days and that probably wasn’t an exaggeration. He was beyond ready for Elaine to come back to work.

His wings folded behind him and vanished from sight. He snapped his fingers and his school uniform and cloak replaced the armor he had been wearing. The uniform was freeing and he felt some of the tension drain from his shoulders. Here he was just a student, not the ruler of the underworld.

The world shifted around him as he teleported and stepped into his office. It was a little messier than usual but he was happy to see that Randy had kept up most of the Prefect work. Vincent or Elias probably had to bribe him but at least it was done. He fished out a blank piece of paper from his desk and scribbled a note to Headmaster Randolph. He wanted to have this meeting early in the day so he could pull his commanders out of the academy as quickly as possible if things went south. 

With a snap of his fingers, the note vanished from his desk. He opened the drawers as he looked for his rarely used wand. He pulled it out from its hiding spot and slipped it into his jacket. He was debating whether he had time to make himself some tea when the note appeared on his desk again. 

Klaus barely had to glance at it to read the affirmative answer of the Headmaster. He inhaled and exhaled a few times and picked some nonexistent lint from his uniform. After straightening his desk and stalling for a few minutes, Klaus decided enough was enough and left the office. It was time to face Randolph.

Most students were already in class so the halls were deserted. He reached the headmaster's office without running into anyone. Since his nerves were a little on edge he was grateful. He knocked on the door twice and placed his hand on the doorknob.

"Excuse me, Headmaster?"

"Come in."

Headmaster Randolph was standing in front of the fireplace, his arms behind his back. He turned to smile kindly at Klaus as soon as he crossed the threshold, beckoning him inside and stepping away from the fireplace. 

"Good morning, Klaus. I'm glad to see you've finally recovered. Please, take a seat.” He gestured towards one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Would you like something to drink? Some tea?" 

Klaus decided that asking for something stronger would be inappropriate even though he would appreciate it. "Yes, thank you, Headmaster. Some tea would be nice." 

“What did you need to speak with me about?” Randolph wondered as he worked on preparing the tea.

Klaus rubbed his forehead. He might as well just get right to the point. “I came to talk to you about the protection spells you have up around the school.”

Randolph showed no reaction to his words and Klaus didn’t know if he was relieved or bothered that the man was so calm.

“What about them?” Randolph asked. He set a cup of tea in front of Klaus and sat down at his desk. He took a sip and watched Klaus curiously.

“There is increased activity of seraphim and demon’s around the academy and your shields aren't strong enough to hold both of them out. If they decide to attack the school.” Klaus sat back in his chair.

“And how would you know about this?” Randolph said. “I patrol the grounds at night quite often and haven’t seen anything that might indicate danger.”

Klaus took a deep breath and stood from his chair. He began to pace and glanced over at Randolph. “That’s because Vincent, Randy, Elias, Amelia, and I have been hunting the demons and seraphim every night in an attempt to keep them away from the school.”

Randolph raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Klaus, the five of you are powerful, you all are some of my best students but that would be a heavy task even for an experienced wizard.”

“What do you know about divine creatures, Headmaster?” Klaus interrupted.

“You mean demons?”

“And Seraphim.” Klaus finished.

“Would you consider Seraphim divine creatures, Klaus? I’ve always classified them as magical beings.”

“They are divine or they once were, at least,” Klaus said.

“I have a feeling that there is something you’re working up to tell me so why don’t you just lay it on me. I promise you there is little you could say that could shock me.” Randolph smiled kindly and took a sip of his tea.

Klaus took a deep breath and gripped the back of the chair he had vacated. He dropped the hold on his magic and felt the weight of his wings as they appeared and unfurled from his back. His canines lengthened and he felt aspects of his body shift as he settled into his archangel form.

When he was finally done his obsidian-colored eyes found Randolph’s again. The headmaster was still sitting at his desk, sipping tea, completely unphased. Klaus wanted to laugh.

Randolph finally set his tea down and placed his elbows on the desk. He inspected Klaus and tilted his head. “What are you exactly Klaus?”

“I’m Archangel Nikolaus, ruler of the underworld, keeper of the dead. I’m responsible for keeping the demons and seraphim in check and I’ve been doing that.” Klaus said. He tapped his claws against the chair and Randolphs’ gaze fell to them.

He looked up at Klaus again and rested his head on his hands. “So what exactly are you doing at my school?”

“My commanders and I noticed a larger congregation of seraphim at your school so we decided to use the academy as a base. That way we’re near the action and we can protect the human souls here.” Klaus said.

“Your commanders?”

“Elias, Randy, Vincent, and Amelia. The horsemen of conquest, famine, war, and death. They are demons under my command.” Klaus replied.

“Okay.” Randolph relaxed into his chair again. “How would you suggest I reinforce my shields?”

Klaus shook his head at the entire situation. How was Randolph so calm? “I would suggest meeting with Randy and talking it over with him. He’s powerful and he could weave you a spell that no one would be able to penetrate.”

“I’ll do that then. You do realize that I have to tell Conrad about this?”

“Tell whoever you feel you need to.” Klaus shrugged. 

“How old are you?”

“One thousand eight hundred years old.”

“I’ve barely got you beat,” Randolph smirked.

“I know sir, I am keeper of the dead and souls, after all. I’ve been watching over your soul for a long time.” Klaus grinned.

“Alright, now that business is out of the way, I want you to tell me everything.” Randolph smiled.

* * *

 

After school ended Elias and Liz met in the woods. He had instructed her to dress warmly and Liz thought about her last trip up to the heavens. She was excited to fly to that height again and looked forward to soaring through the clouds. Elias teleported them to the meeting spot and they waited for Phaedon and Spyridon to appear.

Liz pulled her coat tightly around herself as the wind whipped past her. She instinctively stepped closer to Elias in hopes to steal some of his body heat. Elias noticed her discomfort and rolled his eyes before slipping an arm around her shoulders. The two of them blushed at the contact but Liz was thankful for the warmth.

“Where are they? We’ve been waiting on this mountain for ten minutes.” Liz grumbled. 

“Phaedon is never on time for anything,” Elias replied. “They’re probably on their way.”

“Why are you going back to the heavens, Elias?” Liz suddenly asked. She turned slightly so she could gauge his reaction.

“Klaus asked me to. There’s a council meeting today and he wanted to make sure the interests of the underworld were represented. Plus, there’s an issue he wanted to make sure would get discussed.” Elias shrugged.

Liz was quiet for a moment as she thought of the right words to say. “You know that you don’t have to. Klaus can find someone else. This can’t be easy.”

“It’s not, but I want to go. I haven’t been home in hundreds of years. As much as I hate my family I do miss the heavens. It’s beautiful up there. Not that the underworld isn’t, it’s just different. I didn’t realize I wanted to see it again until Klaus asked me to go back.” Elias smiled grimly. “If I’m lucky I won’t run into my parents or god forbid Sebastian. Elaine has assured me though that she’ll keep him busy while I’m there even if she has to pretend like she’s in pain.” 

Liz snorted at his last sentence and Elias smiled. At that moment a loud boom echoed through the area and two figures appeared through the clouds. They shot across the sky at an alarming speed and Liz watched as the blurs zoomed past.

“What are they doing?” Liz smiled.

“Racing. Spyridon was winning.” Elias shielded his eyes so he could look up at the sky.

“How could you tell?” Liz wondered.

“Enhanced vision.” 

They watched as Phaedon and Spyridon circled back around and landed right in front of them. Spyridon touched down first and threw his hands up in the air.

“Yes!” He held his hand out and Phaedon slapped a bag of gold into his hand. Spyridon kissed him and they both turned to Elias and Liz.

“Hello,” Phaedon said somberly.

“Ignore him, he’s a sore loser.” Spyridon smiled. “It’s good to see you, Elias.” The two men shook hands and Elias smiled. 

“It’s good to see you too. I see quite a bit of Phaedon you should come with him to the underworld next time.” Elias said.

“I think I will.” Spyridon laughed. “He’s told me a lot of stories.”

“Are you both ready?” Phaedon shook his head.

Elias took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I think so.”

“You’ll be flying with Spyridon and Liz, you’ll be with me.” A slow smile spread across Phaedon’s face and he looked Liz up and down. She rolled her eyes.

“You need to behave. Doesn’t Spyridon care when you hit on other people?” Liz raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not hitting on you.” Phaedon feigned innocence and Spyridon snorted.

“Mmhmm,” Liz smirked and stepped up to Phaedon. “Let’s go already. We had to wait on you two and I’m freezing.”

“Are you ordering a God around?” Phaedon raised his eyebrows in surprise and then laughed. “I like you and I hope you give Klaus this much attitude.”

“I absolutely do.” Liz smiled.

Phaedon pulled her close and was getting ready to take off when he buried his nose in her hair. “Spyridon you might as well hand me that bag of gold back. You just lost a bet. She smells like Klaus. It’s really really faint but it’s there. Is there something you would like to share with the class?”

Liz sighed and then smiled. “Klaus and I are together, kind of. We’re getting to know each other.”

“Finally,” Phaedon said.

He shot into the air and Liz shrieked as she tightened her arms around his neck. “Elaine did that the first time too! Are you both trying to give me a heart attack?”

Phaedon laughed as he flapped his wings. He soared into the air and Liz giggled at the increase of speed. Spyridon was right behind them and Liz leaned over Phaedon’s shoulder so she could watch Elias. 

His eyes were closed and he had his head thrown back as the wind flew past him. He looked like he missed being able to fly and Liz’s heart broke at the sight. Spyridon and Elias flew past them and Elias was laughing. Liz glanced over at Phaedon and saw that he was watching them as well. He gave her a sad smile and they flew into a bank of clouds.

Elias held a hand out and let the wind flow through his fingers. Spyridon watched him and locked eyes with Phaedon and Liz. The moment was sad and none of them dared speak. They didn’t want to ruin Elias’ fun.

The trip didn’t take long and soon they were all standing in front of the gates to the heavens. Phaedon and Spyridon waved their hands over their bodies and white suits appeared on them. Their votums flickered into view and Phaedon smoothed his hair back. He touched Liz’s shoulder and a black dress materialized on her body. It was simple and it hugged her curves as layers of chiffon fell to the floor. It was long sleeved with a deep neckline. Liz loved it. She felt very grown up in the dress.

Phaedon held his hand out and thick ornate necklace appeared in his grasp. It dangled from his hand and black diamonds covered its surface. It glittered in the light and Liz reached out to touch the cold stones.

“What is that?” Liz asked.

“Something I swiped from the underworld,” Phaedon smirked.

“Klaus doesn’t know you have that?” Elias asked.

“Nope,” Phaedon replied. He popped the “p” in the word and Elias laughed.

“I feel bad for you whenever he discovers it’s gone.”

“What is it?” Liz asked again.

“It’s a part of the underworlds crown jewels.” Phaedon shrugged. He opened the necklace and fastened it around Liz’s neck. She was shocked at the weight of it and she blinked up at Phaedon.

“This looks like a votum.”

“Does it?” Phaedon asked innocently. “I didn’t notice.” Liz gave him an unimpressed look and he sighed. “Listen, Liz. If you wear that then no one will mess with you. I’ll deal with the fall out with Nikolaus.”

Liz searched his gaze for a moment and shook her head. “Okay.”

He then grabbed her hand and slipped a silver ring on her middle right finger. “That is from Elaine. The archangels wear gold rings that symbolize our status and the seconds wear silver. Today you are Elias’ second.”

Liz looked over at Elias and the two of them smiled at each other. “I will gladly be his second.”

“Watch his back and support him in the meeting. If you notice he’s uncomfortable then tell Phaedon or I and we’ll get you both out of there.” Spyridon said and Liz nodded.

“That goes for you as well, Elias. If you want to leave for any reason then let us know.” Phaedon smiled and turned to Spyridon. “Will you escort Liz inside.

Elias watched them walk away and Phaedon turned back to him. “Your brother wanted me to give you this.” He placed a gold ring in Elias’ palm. Elias stared at it for a moment before slipping the ring on his right hand. “And also this.”

Phaedon held his hand out again and a gold crown appeared in his grasp. Elias took a deep breath and waved a hand over himself. His clothes transformed into a black suit and Phaedon placed the crown on his head.

“You’re going to do great,” Phaedon said softly.

“I was cast out Phaedon,” Elias whispered and looked down at the floor.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re an archdemon and a commander in the underworld. You’re powerful and you need to show them that. You’re family turned on you because you wanted to go to the underworld. I believe they said that ‘if you were going to follow Klaus that you didn’t need wings’ that you should be a demon instead. Well, you are one now.” A slow smile spread across Phaedon’s face. “So show them just how demonic you can be. Take your claws out, Elias.”

Elias grinned and his talons slid from his fingers and his fangs came out of their hiding spot. His bright eyes shifted to black and Phaedon squeezed his shoulder. “Perfect. Come on, let’s go inside.”

* * *

 

Liz took a deep breath as she followed Elias into the meeting room. It was just as beautiful as she remembered and she stared up at the sun split clouds drifting overhead. Elias came to stand behind a chair and Liz stood next to him. He drummed his clawed fingers across the back of the chair impatiently and his obsidian-colored eyes scanned the crowd of angels.

Liz knew he was nervous but an outsider looking at him would only see an apathetic and slightly irritated demon. He cut an imposing picture and Liz was proud to see that several of the angels in the room kept eyeing him nervously. Phaedon, Spyridon, Theodora and her second Pavlos stood on either side of Liz and Elias and acted as silent pillars of support.

A woman cleared her throat and a hush fell over the crowd. Liz recognized the scribe of heaven and smiled. She liked the tall woman even if she had never spoken to her. “I am the scribe and judge of heaven, Moira and I call the meeting to order. I want the Archangels and their second in commands to state their names and rank. We have a new lineup tonight and I want to make sure everyone is introduced.”

She removed a gold ring from her right hand and sat it on the table. Isodore spoke up first and the introductions proceeded the same as the other meeting, just with the addition of the seconds as well.

A young looking angel named Orestes was filling in for Sebastian and Liz instantly loved his personality. He was extremely relaxed and wore a slightly arrogant expression to his face. He and Elias even exchanged a friendly smile once and Liz wondered if they knew each other.  

The introductions finally circled around to Elias and he took a deep breath and slipped a gold ring off of his finger. He placed it on the table and stared down every Archangel in the room. Liz smirked next to him and fought the urge to reach out and squeeze his hand.

“I am Archdemon Elias, one of the four generals of the underworld. I wield the prophecy and power of Conquest and command legions of demons. I’m representing the underworld under the order of Archangel Nikolaus.” Elias took a deep breath.

“Umm, I’m Liz, a human. I'm representing the underworld as Elias’ second in command under the order of Elaine.” Liz slipped a silver ring off her finger and placed it on the table. Then she gave the room a small wave and she heard Phaedon suppress laughter at the gesture.

“Good job.” He leaned over and whispered in her ear and Liz grinned at him. He squeezed her arm in reassurance and Liz relaxed.

Moira smiled at Liz and bowed her head. “I acknowledge everyone’s presence and right to speak. Be seated.”

“You can’t be serious, Moira. You’re allowing a demon and a human to speak at this meeting? This is a council for angels.” A second named Cynthia broke the silence and Moira narrowed her gaze at the other woman.

“I can acknowledge whomever I please. Nikolaus is stuck in the underworld, Elaine is indisposed, he approached me and asked if it would be alright if Elias spoke on his behalf. I agreed and that will be the last comment I take about this subject. If anyone here has a problem with it then they can leave. I will also remind you that Elias grew up here and was one of us once.” Moira shrugged.

“Well, he isn’t anymore.” Isidore huffed in annoyance across the table and Moira glared at him. Phaedon snarled and pulled his lips back as he showed his fangs. Blue talons slid from his hands and Isidore raised his eyebrows in surprise. “An act of aggression from you Phaedon? It doesn’t suit you. I haven’t seen you fight in centuries.”

“Keep talking Isidore and I will happily demonstrate my combat skills.” Phaedon hissed. Spyridon was tense next to Phaedon. He reached out and placed a hand on the back of his husband’s neck. The archangel instantly calmed and glanced over at Spyridon. He nodded and Spyridon removed his hand after giving Phaedon a long assessing look.

“You know we don’t have to fight every meeting. We can mix it up a little and be friendly to one another. Imagine if these meetings were actually productive?” Orestes spoke up. A few of the angels chuckled at the statement.

Silence fell over the room as Moira waited to see if anyone would leave. When no one moved she smiled and leaned back in her chair. “Save it for the sparring ring gentlemen. Let’s get started. First order of business, Dina is asking for aid in dealing with the Banshees.”

“I was making a dent in their population and then their mating season rolled around. They are multiplying faster than I can kill them and I’m afraid I’m going to need assistance.” Dina said shortly.

“I’m sorry,” Liz leaned forward and all eyes fell on her. “If I remember correctly, the banshees are a problem on island countries correct? Which means that they are in the sea.”

“What’s your point, little human.” Dina narrowed her eyes.

“Last meeting I attended you argued that since seraphim were Klaus’ jurisdiction that he was responsible for killing them. Since the sea is your jurisdiction then you should be responsible for the banshees. It’s only fair, right? Or would you like to rethink your previous statement now that you’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like?” Liz smiled.

Dina gaped at Liz and then turned her hard gaze to Elias. “Muzzle your second Elias.”

“I would never dream of doing that. I’m sure she bites.” Elias smiled. “You would do well to respect Liz or it won’t be me you have to deal with Dina, but Nikolaus. That necklace Liz has on isn't just for decoration.”

“Motion for aid is denied unless the Banshees become a threat to the humans.” Moira interrupted before Dina could speak again. 

“Speaking of the seraphim, how is the hunt going?” an Archangel named Joseph asked.

“We’re making progress,” Elias said slowly. “We had a small setback this month. A few hundred demons escaped the underworld so we’re hunting seraphim and demon’s right now. We almost have the demons taken care of so we can turn our attention back to the seraphim full time.”

“How long until the demons are put back in confinement?” Ari asked.

“Vincent, one of the other Horsemen, estimates that they’ll be rounded up within the week. Phaedon, Karina, and Theodora have been kind enough to help us hunt the seraphim and demons and it has been a big help.” Elias relaxed back in his chair.

“Costas and I will aid in the hunt for the seraphim and demons for the next few weeks and then we’ll help you out as well, Dina,” Ari responded. Elias smiled and nodded in respect to the archangel.

“Thank you, Ari,” Dina said.

“Moving on to the second order of business,” Moira spoke up. “The earth hasn’t had much rain the past two months and things are getting dry. Why is that?”

“I have to coordinate with Sebastian for rain storms, I control the weather but he’s god of the sky. All rainstorms have to be approved by both of us.” Joseph said. “We haven’t had a chance to meet. It’s my fault, I’ve been busy with harvest season. I’ll meet with him this week and we’ll get it taken care of.”

“Please make sure it gets done.” Moira wrote something down on a piece of paper. “Elias, Nikolaus mentioned he wanted to discuss something about souls this meeting, did he say anything to you?”

“Yes,” Elias sat up and placed his elbows on the table. “Klaus is seeing a higher influx in souls than normal. Usually, a spike in the dead here and there isn’t uncommon but there is something odd about this one. Flowers are dying in the garden of souls for no reason and it’s happening suddenly. One day a flower will be fine and the next it’s just dead. All these souls are from the same place as well, the mountain regions in the northwest corner of the country Esterage.”

“What does Nikolaus think is happening?” Spyridon asked.

“He doesn’t know and he hasn’t really had a chance to investigate,” Elias said.

“I’ve been getting some odd prayers from that region,” Theodora said. “A lot of people begging for life or to be saved. Do you think something is killing humans in that country?”

“That’s a possibility,” Moira said. “I propose we arrange a search party or two to go check things out. It probably needs to consist of archangels since we don’t know what we’re dealing with. All in favor?”

Liz watched as everyone raised their hands in agreement. “Good, I’ll make up a schedule. You’ll pass the information on to Nikolaus?” Moira asked Elias.

“I’ll tell him but he won’t be much help until Elaine gets back.”

“That’s fine, I won’t drop him into the lineup until he has more time.” Moira nodded.

Something registered in the back of Liz’s mind as she listened to the conversation. She stiffened in her chair as memories of one of her visions flooded her thoughts.

“What is it?” Phaedon leaned over to whisper to her.

“I think I know what’s in the mountains,” Liz spoke softly. “I’ve been having visions-”

“Klaus told me.”

“Okay, well I’ve been having a recurring vision for the last week about a creature terrorizing a small village. I don’t know what it is but it’s enormous and it has seven heads, kind of looks like a dragon? In my vision, there were angels fighting it.” Liz whispered.

Phaedon groaned and leaned forward to rest his head on the table. Spyridon gave him a questioning look and several angels in the room looked over at him.

“Phaedon?” Moira tilted her head at his outburst and Phaedon sat up. He ran his hand through his hair roughly and sighed.

“The thing terrorizing Esterage is a Hydra.”

A collective groan of annoyance echoed through the council room. All the angels shared a look of exasperation and frustration.

“We haven’t seen one of those in centuries.” Costas, Ari’s second in command, said. “It’ll be a pain to kill.”

“Who has experience killing Hydra’s?” Moira asked.

“I do.” An archangel named Stavros spoke up.

“Natalia and I do. Ari, Theodora, Phaedon, Sebastian, Elaine, and Daphne have experience as well.” Isidore said.

“Klaus does. You might not have to kill it, though. It might be easier to capture it and transport it somewhere else. We keep a few in the underworld and could probably accommodate another.” Elias said.

"Do you think Klaus would take it?” Phaedon asked.

“I don’t see why not. We have infinite space and the Hydra would probably like to be with its own kind.” Elias shrugged.

“Alright.” Moira smiled. “Then a band of qualified angels will meet in a few days to capture it and transport it to the underworld.” Moira nodded. She looked over the papers in front of her and sat back in her chair. “I think that’s all I have for today unless anyone else has something they need to discuss?”

No one spoke up so Moira stood and grabbed her ring off of the table. “Then meeting adjourned.” The archangels and their seconds put their rings back on and began to file out of the room. 

Phaedon grasped Elias and Liz by the arms and pulled them to the side. “Let’s stay in here for a few minutes and let the crowd thin a little. That way there will be less risk of Elias running into anyone he doesn’t want to see.”

“Thank you.” Elias breathed. Suddenly someone called his name and Elias looked up. Orestes was walking towards them and Elias smiled. The two men embraced and Orestes held Elias at arm's length. 

“It’s good to see you.”

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Elias squeezed Orestes’ arm. 

“You’ve changed everything,” Orestes replied. “It’s a good look for you. Being a demon agrees with you.”

“I actually like it,” Elias admitted.

“They’re treating you well in the underworld?” Orestes asked suddenly serious.

“I love it there. The other horsemen are great. They’re my friends and I like my job. I like hunting and I don’t really miss it here. I do miss you though only a little.” Elias smirked and Orestes sighed.

“Of course you do.” the other man scoffed. “Let’s start meeting up. I can come down to earth. I would like to hear more about your life.”

“I would like that.” Elias grinned. 

“Elias,” Phaedon called over and Elias shook Orestes’ hand.

“I’ve got to go.” Elias ran up to where Phaedon was waiting. The archangel grabbed him and dove off the nearest cloud and they plummeted towards the earth. As the air whipped past them Elias realized he felt light for the first time in centuries.

* * *

 

Elias rubbed his temples as he walked through the palace in the underworld. It felt good to be in a place where he didn’t have to constantly glance over his shoulder. There was no risk of running into his family here and the tension of the day slowly drained from his body. He removed the crown from his head as he walked and ruffled his hair. He was exhausted but before he went to sleep he needed to talk to his brother.

He approached Klaus’ study and knocked on the door. After a moment he heard Klaus’ voice and he stepped into the cozy room. 

Klaus was sitting at his desk and glanced up as Elias walked into the room. “How did it go?”

“Fine, we need to make preparations to accommodate another Hydra. There’s one terrorizing Esterage and the archangels want to capture it and turn it over to you. Do we have room?” Elias threw himself down in one of the chairs across from Klaus. He sat the crown on the desk and shoved it towards his brother. Klaus took it and waved his hand. In an instant it was gone, probably sealed away in the vaults again.

“We do, I don’t really have time to tame it but Randy should enjoy doing it. I’ll have armor fitted for it. We can use it in the demon forces if I ever have need of an army. It would give me an advantage.” Klaus shrugged. “What else?”

“Dina is having trouble with the Banshee’s I know she’s given you problems the last few meetings but if you helped her out then it might knock her attitude down a few pegs,” Elias smirked and Klaus sighed.

“I’ll think about it,” Klaus grumbled. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “Is that all?”

“No,” Elias fidgeted in his seat and Klaus tilted his head at the action.

“What is it?”

“I did this for you, went to this meeting, and while I don’t mind helping I wasn’t joking when I said that you owe me. Big time.” Elias finally looked his brother in the eyes. “I want my wings back.”

“Elias.” Klaus started but Elias held up his hand. Klaus smirked at the fact that someone just silenced the king of hell but he let Elias continue. 

“You’re a God Klaus, I know you can do it. You can create things, and give life, there is no excuse you can give me that is going to change my mind. I want wings.”

“I’m not saying no, Elias.” Klaus rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m all powerful, but when we took these powers from the Gods they didn’t come with instruction manuals. We can do anything but even after thousands of years of trying to harness our powers we still don’t understand them all. So, I’ll give you your wings but you have to give me time. Let me do some research and figure out a way to do it that isn’t going to harm you. Can you give me time?”

“I can do that.” Elias let out a breath and ran his hand down his face. He watched Klaus work for a minute and then stood. “I’m going to bed and no offense but you should too. You look terrible.”

“Thanks so much,” Klaus said shortly. He continued to work and Elias rolled his eyes. The scratching of his pen was the only sound in the room.

“Fine, work yourself to death. Liz is here, by the way, I think she’s waiting up for you.” Klaus’ pen stopped and he glanced up at him. Elias smirked at Klaus because he knew he just won.

“I’ll go,” Klaus said. He got up from his chair and slipped past Elias as they left the room. They were just about to part ways when Klaus turned back around. “Luca is here. He’s probably waiting for you as well.”

“Why did you let him into the underworld?” Elias glared at his brother.

“I had Cerberus bring him a few hours ago. Liz sent me a note earlier today and asked if it was okay if Luca joined us this weekend. I agreed. So, she’s happy and I get to see you irritated. It was a win-win. He’s just been walking around. He asked me a thousand questions but I told him he would have to wait and ask you.” Klaus smirked and turned on his heel to walk towards his quarters. 

Elias watched him go and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could already feel a migraine coming on. He would talk to Luca tomorrow right now he just wanted to go to bed.

He walked down the dark hallway towards his room. When he was safely inside he took a deep breath and leaned back against the door. Today had been long but despite the stress he was relieved at how things had gone. The heavens had been uneventful and a part of him even hoped he could return sometime soon.

Elias shoved off of the door and headed towards his closet. He slipped his shirt off as he walked and tossed it to the floor.

“Oh my god.” 

Elias tensed at the voice and spun around to see Luca standing in the doorway to his room. “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Elias glared at him.

“I didn’t know you were here and I came to look at your books.” Luca rolled his eyes. “Relax.” 

He tilted his head as he waited for Elias to respond. When he didn’t Luca stepped into the room. He began to walk the length of the bookshelf casually. Elias hadn’t moved from his spot across the room and was watching Luca wearily.

“Out of the two of us, I think I should be the uncomfortable one here. You could end me in a heartbeat so why do you look so frightened?” Luca wondered.

“I might be powerful Luca but you are a complete mystery to me and it makes me nervous that I can’t figure out what you’re going to do next,” Elias admitted. He turned away from Luca and walked towards the door of his closet.

“What are the scars are on your back from?” Luca asked as he looked at the bookshelf.

Elias stiffened at the question. He could hear Luca moving behind him and he took a deep breath. “I used to have wings, now I don’t,” Elias replied shortly.

He was glad when Luca didn’t comment further and he walked into his closet. He took his time changing and when he came back out into his room Luca was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace.

Luca looked up as Elias approached him. He patted the floor next to him and Elias rolled his eyes before sinking to his knees. “I have chairs right there we could sit at.”

“The rug is soft and warm.” Luca shrugged. He held out a book for Elias to see. “A brief history of the underworld. It’s over one thousand pages, care to give me a shortened version?” 

Elias crossed his arms and leaned back against the couch behind him. “What do you want to know?”

“Klaus told me that archangels act as gods now after they won a war fought a few thousand years ago.” 

“Correct.” Elias nodded.

“How long has Klaus been in power?” Luca asked.

“A little over three hundred years.”

“And what do you do as the horseman of conquest?”

“I lead the others and primarily help Eliane, Klaus’ second in command. She rules when he isn’t here.”

“Have I met her yet?” Luca wondered.

“No, she’s at home healing from an injury,” Elias said. “She’s an angel and she lives in the heavens. She’s my sister in law.”

“Klaus is married?” Luca tilted his head.

“No, Elaine is married to my eldest brother. Klaus isn’t married although he and Liz are seeing each other.” Elias shook his head.

Luca’s eyes lit up. “Really, how does that work, she’s human?”

“That is between Klaus and Liz. You’ll have to talk to her if you want to know more. I’m staying out of it and I do not want to know the interworkings of their relationship.” Elias frowned.

“Okay, what is this?” Luca held up his wrist with the cuff on it. “Liz said it was a mark.”

“It basically just tells any other demons or divine creatures that you have a deal with me and that they can’t make a claim to you. It’s basically a tagging system marking you as prey.”

“That’s degrading.” Luca murmured.

“Well, a lot of demons don’t think very highly of humans and our bargains are very ancient magic. The marks come automatically with the deal, although we can change what we put on you. Some demons put rings on their prey or brand them.”

“Thank god you didn’t try to brand me that would’ve been a deal-breaker.” Luca frowned.

“I have no intention of being cruel to you Luca. As long as you keep your end of the deal we won’t have a problem, aside from our usual disdain for each other. Liz comes to the underworld on the weekend so she and Klaus can get away from the academy but you don’t have to. Just because we have a deal doesn’t mean we have to spend time together. We aren’t exactly friends.” Elias looked over at Luca.

Luca flipped through the book for a minute and shut it. He stood to his feet and looked down at Elias. “I find all this really fascinating and if it means having to deal with you on a daily basis for the rest of my life then I’ll do it,” Luca said begrudgingly. “I want to come to the underworld with Liz and learn about the heavens and the underworld. I’m getting to see things no one else is privy to. It makes me feel important.” 

“Important.” Elias scoffed. “Says the man at the bottom of the food chain.” Elias stood to his feet and brushed himself off. “If you want to come to the underworld then I don’t have a problem with it. I can’t exactly forbid you. That’s Klaus’s choice. Now, get out of my room I want to go to bed.” 

* * *

 

Sebastian stared at the ceiling as he lay in bed. He could hear Elaine breathing gently next to him and he waiting until her breathing had slowed. When he was sure she was asleep he slipped out of bed and walked out onto their balcony. He snapped his fingers and golden armor shifted onto his body. 

He took a deep breath before taking off at a sprint and diving off the balcony. He fell through the clouds and closed his eyes as the wind blew past him. The ground rushed towards him and he snapped his wings out to give himself enough drag to slow down. He flew towards his destination and slammed into the ground as he landed. The impact sent gravel and dust flying. He rose from his crouch and sniffed the air. 

There were ten demons to his left but that was to be expected. He just hoped they didn’t cause him any trouble. He followed their scent as he walked through the woods, their camp was close and he needed to find it. 

He finally emerged into a clearing and looked at the hundreds of demons and seraphim gathered in the field. They all turned to him at once and he smiled.

“I’m here to see your commander.” His voice echoed through the crowd and several demons snarled and stepped towards him. He summoned his claws and sunk into a combat stance. He didn’t feel like fighting tonight but he would if he had to. “If you value your limbs then I would get out of my way.”

“Wait!”

A voice cracked through the clearing and the demons immediately cowered at the sound. They parted as a demon, in its beast form, stalked forward. Its taloned feet dug into the ground as it walked and it tilted its head at Sebastian.

“We weren’t expecting you tonight, Archangel.” It hissed.

“I have news that would interest your leader, Dantalion. Take me to him.” Sebastian retracted his claws and stood up straighter. 

“Come with me.” Dantalion beckoned him with a bony, clawed hand and began to walk back through the crowd. Sebastian tucked his wings in behind him and followed the demon towards a row of tents. “He’s in there along with a few of the seraphim commanders. I hope you’ve got good news. He’s in a bad mood and he might gut you if you waste his time.”

Sebastian snorted. “I would like to see him try. I could level his camp with a flick of my wrist. You might do well to remember that.”

“Yes, Archangel.” Dantalion bowed and Sebastian shook his head. He stepped into the too warm tent and surveyed the one demon and three Seraphim there.

“Why are you here, Sebastian.” The demon said. “The seraphim are upset with you. Apparently, you hindered Ahaz’s retrieval of Elaine.”  The seraphim hissed at him and Sebastian smirked. 

“I did, Malphas. Ahaz needs to be patient. Elaine has strong ties to the underworld and she’s constantly getting information. She needs to stay as Nikolaus’ second in command for as long as possible so I stepped in and saved her. Tell Ahaz that he’s lucky I only killed one of his men. I _saved_ our plan. He can have her when I’m done with her.” Sebastian drummed his fingers against his arm in irritation. 

“I’ll pass that along to him,” Malphas said. “What news did you bring me?”

“The underworld has no idea that thousands of demons escaped confinement. They are under the impression that it was a couple of hundred and Nikolaus thinks they’re almost rounded up. They won’t know you’ve joined up with the Seraphim until you attack them.” Sebastian replied.

“We don’t have the numbers that the Heavens army has or Nikolaus’ numbers. A majority of the demons would follow him if he asked, he’s got the horsemen on his side and the hellhounds. We can’t fight the heavens and the underworld.” Malphas said.

“Well, I have three things that will help that.” Sebastian smiled. “First, there was a Hydra spotted in the mountains of Esterage. The Archangels are going to capture it and transport it to the underworld tomorrow. If you leave tonight and beat them there then you can use the Hydra in your army. Second, my brother has taken a human lover, if you capture her then you can bend Nikolaus to your will. And third, I might’ve figured out a spell that leashes the archangels powers. If the archangels are powerless then they can’t kill you. You’ll be invincible against the angel’s armies.”

Malphas looked at the Seraphim and smiled. It showed his yellowing decaying teeth and Sebastian frowned. “If we can take down the God of the Underworld and leash the other archangels, then we just might stand a chance. Keep us posted on the goings-on of the underworld and get more information on the human girl.”

“Alright.” Sebastian turned on his heel and headed towards the door of the tent. “Oh, Malphas next time any of your demons threaten me at the entrance to your camp I’ll rip their spines out.”

“I’ll pass the word along.” Malphas rolled his eyes.

Sebastian turned his back on the creatures again and left the tent. He spread his wings and took to the sky. The air was thick around him and he shivered at the feel of the wind. He had just enough time to make it home and sleep a few hours before he had to get up to raise the sun.

He would enjoy the peace while it lasted because war would break out soon enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From now on I’m just going to say that the update schedule is every 2 weeks. These chapters are all falling around 11,000 words now. It’s going to take me a week or two to write them. :)
> 
> Things are about to get interesting. :D


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The vows mentioned are from Outlander and a poem called “The Privileged Lovers” by Rumi.
> 
> Music Inspiration: Monsters by Ruelle.

Klaus walked into his room and felt the tension drain from his body. The exhaustion was settling into his bones and he knew he could only stay awake for a little longer. His body was demanding sleep and he was more than happy to oblige. He pulled back one of the curtains dividing the room and stopped as he took in the sight in front of him.

Liz was curled up on his side of the bed with the covers wrapped around her body. She looked cold and Klaus sighed. He made his way quietly to the fireplace across the room and shot a flame from his palm into its center. The wood caught fire and Klaus used his powers to force the heat into the room.

With one last glance at Liz, he walked into his closet to change. Even in his exhausted state, his mind was constantly running through tasks he needed to do. He wished his thoughts would just be quiet for a few minutes. When he was changed he padded across the cold floor to the bed.

Liz had a tight grip on the blankets and Klaus tried to figure out a way to wrestle the covers from her and not wake her. He finally found a corner of the blanket and unraveled her so he could fix the sheets. He was just about to climb into bed when something around her neck shimmered in the moonlight.

Klaus froze as he recognized the votum from the underworlds jewels. How on earth had she gotten that? The only other people that had touched the crown jewels lately were Elaine and…

Phaedon.

Klaus exhaled through his nose at the realization and shook his head. He didn’t know what his friend was playing at but the other angel needed to mind his own business.

He sighed and gently reached for Liz’s neck. Klaus found the hidden clasp at the side of the ornate necklace and slid it off of her carefully. Liz gasped as the cool metal slid from her neck and Klaus froze in an attempt not to disturb her further. When he was sure she was still sleeping he waved his hand over the votum. It disappeared and was on its way back to the vaults. He would have a talk with Phaedon about this later.

Liz shivered at the loss of the covers and Klaus quickly laid down next to her and pulled her against him. She relaxed into his embrace and he smiled at the sight of her in his arms. Quickly he wrapped the blankets around them and soon he was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

_Lightning cracked across the bleak sky and illuminated the dark clouds drifting by. The rain was coming down in sheets and it made visibility almost impossible. A figure broke through the clouds and was falling at an alarming speed._

_Phaedon was unconscious and limp as he plummeted through the darkness. A loud crack rang through the sky as thunder boomed. Spyridon was frantically racing after his unconscious husband in an attempt to catch him. His wings burned at the strain of his desperate speed and he forced himself to move faster._

_He caught Phaedon’s wrist in his hand and stopped him just before he slammed into the ground. Spyridon pulled his husband into his arms and gently lowered his body to the forest floor. His pulse was still strong and Spyridon exhaled a sigh of relief. Why was he unconscious? They had been flying and then suddenly Phaedon had just stopped._

_He pressed a kiss to Phaedon’s forehead and was getting ready to take off again when the trees and bushes around the clearing began to rustle. The scent of brimstone and sulfur filled Spyridon’s senses and he exhaled angrily through his nostrils._

_Demons emerged from the forest and surround the pair. He crouched over his husband’s unconscious body and bared his fangs at the advancing demons. A snarl was pulled from his mouth at their proximity and the demons lunged at him._

_Spyridon was up in an instant and grabbed the nearest demon by the neck before slamming it into the ground._

Liz woke with a start and looked around the darkness. She couldn’t catch her breath and she sat up as her eyes finally focused on the room around her. She buried her hands in her hair as she struggled to slow her breathing. She pulled her knees to her chest and began to process what she had just seen.

It was obviously a vision of the future but what was happening in it? Why would Phaedon be falling? The demons she saw didn’t add up either. They were all confined to the underworld, well most of them. 

She got up from the bed and walked towards the desk that Klaus kept in the room. After inspecting the surface of the desk and the drawers she found a blank piece of paper and a pen. On one side she wrote her dream down in perfect detail and on the other side she wrote a note to Klaus.

_“I had a vision, it’s on the other side of the page. Take a look at it, please. I’m going to go find something to read in your study. -Liz.”_

She turned back towards the bed and smiled as she looked at Klaus. His wings were draped across the bed behind him and his breathing was deep and even. He looked exhausted and the dark circles under his eyes concerned Liz, he obviously wasn’t sleeping enough. She was grateful that her dream hadn’t disturbed him.

She placed the note on the nightstand next to the bed and quietly left the room. The palace was ominous at night and Liz wondered if anyone else was awake. She hoped not, they all needed a good nights sleep after the stress of the last week. She momentarily thought about going to check on Luca but she didn’t want to disturb him either.

A fire was burning in the hearth when she opened the doors to the study. Elaine was sitting at the desk working and she looked up at Liz in surprise. A smile spread across the angel’s face and she waved. The motion was so utterly ridiculous that it made Liz laugh. She strode forward and sat down across from Elaine.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Liz grinned. “You aren’t supposed to be back for another week.”

“Theodora took a look at my wings and declared they were flight ready so here I am.” Elaine leaned back in her chair. “I’ve been sleeping and relaxing for the past seven days and I’m bored. I thought I would come down here and get a jump start on my work and give Klaus a day to relax. I also missed this place and all of you.”

“Did you enjoy your time off just a little?” Liz smirked and Elaine smiled.

“I did. I caught up on some reading that I had been putting off and spent some time with Theodora. Sebastian took the week off as well so we enjoyed being together. We rarely get to do that.” Elaine shrugged. “It was nice but I missed work.”

“It’s good to have you back. I know Klaus is going to be so happy you’re here. He looks pretty run down.” Liz said.

“Well, I’m not letting him anywhere near his study or the throne room today. He’s taking a day off because he probably needs one. I saw Elias a little while ago and he said Klaus hasn’t slept in a week. He’ll probably be dead to the world for a good twelve hours. You’re welcome to spend the next few hours with me. I could start teaching you the ins and outs of ruling hell. Especially since you’ll be ruling this realm someday as well.” Elaine tilted her head.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Liz shook her head. “Visions can change remember. I’m just a human girl I’m not cut out to rule hell.”

“Whatever, Liz.” Elaine rolled her eyes and smirked at her friend. “I’ll start teaching you just in case.”

“I’m open to learning but it’s still really early in the morning. I think I’m just going to grab a book and go read in bed. Hopefully, I’ll get tired again soon and be able to go to sleep.” Liz stood and began to look through the shelves of books. “Do you have anything about the underworld? It’s history, past rulers, information on the day to day operations? I’m curious.”

Elaine looked thoughtful for a moment and snapped her fingers. A large black book appeared in front of her and she held it out to Liz. “That should have everything you’re looking for. Go read for a bit, go back to sleep. If you could, can you make sure Klaus is awake by two o’clock? He has an event in the heavens he’s required to go to today.”

“I can do that.” Liz smiled and began to leave the room. She turned back around and surveyed Elaine. “It’s good to have you back I didn’t like seeing you injured.”

“I’m alright.” Elaine’s expression softened. “Thank you for holding me while Theodora worked on my wings. It meant a lot.”

“Friends are always there for each other.” Liz shrugged. “I’ll make sure Klaus is awake and ready to leave at two.”

“Good luck. Grumpy archangels aren’t fun to deal with. Go rest, Liz. This week probably hasn’t been easy for you either.” Elaine looked back down at the papers in front of her and got back to work. 

“Don’t work yourself too hard.”

Liz walked back into the bedroom and sighed at the comfort of the room. The room was warm, inviting, and her body relaxed. Klaus’ room was so familiar to her now, even after such a short time.

She made sure to shut the door as quietly as possible and tiptoed her way across the floor. Klaus was still asleep and he was also taking up the entire bed. He was spread out diagonally across the mattress and the blankets were tangled in his long legs. His wings were spread lazily on either side of his body, they were taking up the most room. One pillow was on the floor and the other was shoved up under his shoulder and head. Liz smiled at the sight and hugged the book to her chest and she surveyed him. He didn’t look much like a god at the moment.

After inspecting the bed Liz realized there was no way for her to lie back down without disturbing him. Instead, she opted to spread out on one of the couches by the fire. It was comfortable and the throw draped across it had been warmed by the flames. She wrapped the blanket around her legs and began to read.

She had only made it a few pages into the book when she heard movement coming from the bed. Klaus rose up slightly and looked around the room in confusion. His eyes were black but even with them like that, Liz could tell he wasn’t fully alert, they were a little hazy.

“Why are you awake?” He glanced back at her as he readjusted himself on the bed. He grabbed the fallen pillow and situated the covers before curling back underneath them.

“I had a bad dream. I’m just reading. I’ll go back to sleep soon.” Liz replied softly.

Klaus made a noise that Liz supposed meant he understood her and she smiled. “I’m fine, Klaus. You need to go back to sleep.”

“Come read in bed. Your presence is soothing.” He said. His eyes weren’t even open now and Liz wondered how awake he actually was. 

She stood from the couch and walked to the bed quickly. She propped her pillow against the headboard and sat down in bed to continue her reading. Klaus shifted and pressed himself against her legs before laying his head in her lap. Liz shook her head at the inconvenience of the position but she didn’t have the heart to tell him to move.

His breathing was already slowing and his wings curled tightly against his back. Liz threaded her fingers through his hair and began to gently scratch his scalp. She carefully avoided his horns and soon Klaus was completely boneless against her. He was warm and as she watched him sleep a feeling of love swelled in her chest.

She shook her head and scoffed. It was much too early in their relationship to feel like that. The more she looked at him though the more she wanted that vision of the future to come true. Unable to focus on her book any longer she put it on the nightstand beside the bed. She nudged Klaus’ shoulder gently and a growl rumbled low in his chest.

Liz laughed at the sound and nudged him again. “Move over so I can go to bed.”

Without a word he moved and settled back into the pillows Liz laid down beside him and curled against his chest. He draped one of his arms across her waist and soon Liz was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

When Liz woke up several hours later Klaus was no longer in bed. She blinked blearily at the room as she waited for her muddled mind to catch up with her body. She shook her head and sat up in bed to survey the rest of the bedroom. She didn’t spot Klaus anywhere and she was just about to go back to sleep when he walked into the room. 

His hair was damp and he was bare from the waist up. He had a shirt in his hands and he slipped it on as he walked. His gaze drifted towards the bed and he smirked at Liz.

“You look a whole lot better than you did last night.” Liz yawned.

“I woke up about thirty minutes ago.” Klaus shrugged and he buttoned his shirt. 

Liz slid to the edge of the bed and sat back on her knees as she watched him. He stood in front of her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Liz leaned into his touch and one of his hands threaded through her hair. She reached up and undid two of his buttons and he raised his eyebrows in surprise

“I missed you.” Liz murmured. She looked up and froze when she realized he was holding her note from last night in his other hand.

“I missed you too.” His gaze softened slightly and he gestured to the note. “I want to talk about this, at length, it’s important but right now we have somewhere we need to be.” He removed her hand from his shirt and smiled. “That also means you can’t continue unbuttoning my shirt.”

His voice was low and Liz gasped. She pressed a kiss to his palm as his hand slid out of her hair. “Elaine told me you had to go to the heavens. How important is this event? Can you skip it?”

Klaus snorted at her words and rolled his eyes. “No. I want to go. It’s important.”

Liz smiled up at him before she suddenly became serious. “Promise me you won’t go a week without sleep again. You can’t do that.” 

“I had work to do. It happens sometimes.” Klaus said. “We have to leave soon. Do you need a bath or anything to get ready?”

“No, I bathed last night. Am I going with you?” Liz tilted her head. She stood from the bed and surveyed his appearance for any sort of clue. He was dressed fairly casually.

“You are,” Klaus replied. Liz walked away from him and towards the bathroom so she could wash her face and brush her teeth.

When she returned. Klaus pulled her into his arms slowly. His gaze burned into hers for a moment and he kissed her softly. Liz hummed and slid her arms around his waist and squeezed him gently. It had only been a week since she had spent time with him but she had missed him more than she cared to admit. “There can’t be another council meeting there was just one yesterday.”

“No business today,” Klaus said. Klaus kissed her again urgently and Liz grabbed the front of his shirt. His grip tightened on her hips and he leaned into her as he deepened the kiss. Liz moaned into his mouth and a growl rumbled deep in Klaus’ chest at the sound. His hands drifted to her lower back and he pulled her flush against him. 

“I thought you said we had to leave soon.” Liz breathed when he released her mouth. Klaus gripped her hair and pulled her head back. Liz bared her neck to him and Klaus dipped his tongue into the hollow above her collarbone. She shivered as his fangs grazed the column of her throat. “Klaus.”

He growled and stood to his full height so he could look into her eyes. “We do need to leave.” He released her reluctantly. Klaus inhaled her scent and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll continue this when we get back.”

Liz looked up into his eyes and smiled, her eyes danced in amusement. “Deal. Now, let me get ready and we can leave.”

Klaus snapped his fingers and some of her clothes appeared on his bed. She grabbed the pile of clothes from the bed and began to walk towards the closet. Klaus tilted his head. “Where are you going?”

“To change,” Liz replied like it was the most obvious answer in the world and Klaus smiled.

“You can just change here. I _have_ seen you naked before.”

“Good point.” Liz blushed slightly but she dropped the clothes back to the bed. She rooted through the pile and smirked when she pulled out a pair of black lace underwear and a matching bra. “Ambitious, aren’t we? How do you even know my size?”

“I’m a god Liz. You think I can’t guess your cup size?” Klaus’ smile widened.

“You’re terrible.” Liz laughed.

Liz grabbed the hem of her nightgown and looked over at Klaus. “Enjoying the show?” Liz grinned.

“Immensely.” His voice was calm but Liz saw his eyes darken when she slid the garment off and dropped it to the floor. She suddenly wished they didn’t have to go to the heavens. 

She swallowed and tore her eyes away from his before proceeding to get dressed. When she had her coat buttoned Klaus slipped his on and held his hand out to her. Shadows engulfed them and Klaus shielded Liz from the roar of the wind as they teleported. They emerged onto the snow covered mountain that Elaine and Klaus used as a jumping off point to fly to the heavens. Liz looked up at the sun split clouds and watched them float by peacefully. She glanced over at Klaus and watched in awe as his beautiful wings spread behind him.

He buttoned his coat and pulled his collar up to block the wind from his body. It was cold and Liz shivered as the wind cut through her layers of clothing. She adjusted her clothes and admired Klaus’ feathers in the sunlight. Hughs of purple and gold danced across them as he prepared to take off. She reached out and caressed one of his flight feathers and a shiver ran up his spine at the touch. Liz smirked at him and Klaus bared his fangs at her.

“Will you please behave?” He glared at her.

Liz stepped up to him and pressed a kiss to his jaw. They had only flown together one other time and her heart jumped in anticipation. Klaus gripped her waist and she slid her arms around his neck. His eyes searched hers for a few minutes and Liz pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. He rolled his eyes at the gesture and sighed. “Ready?”

Liz nodded and Klaus smirked down at her. She anticipated the lift off but the speed of his take off still shocked her. She clamped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as they climbed higher and higher. He smelled like smoke and some sort of spice and Liz inhaled deeply. When he finally leveled out she removed her face from his neck and watched their surroundings.

Clouds floated around them and Liz blinked as the sun rose from behind them. She threw her head back slightly and let the warm rays wash over her chilled skin. Klaus’ arms tightened around her and she looked at his face. He was watching her intently and she kissed him softly.

Their attitude faltered when Klaus started to return the kiss and Liz laughed. “Don’t distract me,” Klaus commanded.

“Sorry,” Liz smiled and suddenly Klaus got a wicked glint in his eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

“That depends,” Liz said evenly. Klaus waited for her to answer and she sighed before nodding her head yes.

Klaus’ wings snapped against his body quickly and they began to fall towards the earth. The wind whipped past them and the rush of adrenaline slammed into Liz like a wall. It was terrifying but she did trust him and she was shocked when a laugh escaped her lips. They fell through the clouds for a minute and Klaus released his wings. They leveled out again and he began to gain altitude. Liz giggled and tightened her arms around his neck. They flew in silence for a minute and Liz’s heartbeat began to slow back down.

“That was fun.” Liz laughed breathlessly. Klaus smiled and pressed a kiss to her hair. He swerved slightly to catch a wind current and Liz marveled at the smoothness of his motions. “So, what event are we attending?”

“We’re going to a wedding. An archangel is marrying her second in command so the other archangels are required to attend.” Klaus replied. He banked around a large cloud and Liz reached out in an attempt to touch it. Klaus watched her with mild amusement in his eyes. 

Liz smiled. “Who’s getting married?”

Klaus nipped at her jaw playfully and Liz giggled. “Karina is marrying Moira.” 

“Karina is the Goddess of Wisdom, right?” Liz said. She wracked her brain as she tried to remember all the names and titles introduced at the council meetings.

“Correct, and Moira is the scribe of heaven. Moira has been Karina’s second in command for the last few hundred years and they fell in love. It should be a good ceremony.” Klaus said.

As they broke through a bank of clouds Liz could see the golden gates of the heavens shining in the sun. Klaus adjusted his grip on her and slowed down as they neared the gleaming realm. His landing was smooth and he touched down on the cloud before lowering Liz to the floor. She slid down his body and looked up at him lovingly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Klaus demanded. He pushed her hair behind her ear and played with the strands that fell to her shoulders.

“That was fun and I just enjoy being with you,” Liz said. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly. Klaus tangled his hands in her coat and groaned into her mouth.

“We need to stop kissing and go inside,” Klaus mumbled against her lips.

“Fine.” Liz laughed and took a step away from him. “Do the thing where you transform my clothes. I assume I can’t go to this wedding in pants and a coat.”

Klaus touched her shoulder and Liz closed her eyes as she felt the strange twinge of magic wash over her. When she opened them again her breath caught as she inspected the dress.

The top of the dress was fairly simple. It was long sleeved and fell off of her shoulders daintily. The bodice and sleeves were made of delicate black lace and small shimmering onyx crystals. The skirt of the dress was floaty and sheer but the layers concealed Liz’s modesty and she didn’t feel exposed at all. The last few feet of the skirt was covered in gleaming silver feathers. Liz swayed a little and smiled as the skirt swished around her like shadows. She glanced down at her wrist and was happy to see that her cuff hadn’t changed. It matched her dress perfectly.

When she looked up, Klaus was watching her in amusement. He was in an elegant black suit, it was tailored perfectly to the cut of his body and Liz admired him. “You look nice.”

“I know.” Klaus snorted and Liz rolled her eyes.

“So modest.” She tilted her head as something occurred to her. “Is it appropriate to wear black to a wedding?”

“The archangels are required to wear their colors today. So, you and I are in black.” Klaus shrugged. “Come here.”

Liz obeyed and stepped closer to him. He held his hand out and a silver diadem appeared in his palm. The metal twisted and tangled together in the appearance of branches and leaves. Silver thistles and roses were engraved on the crown and Liz reached out to touch one of the perfect flowers. Black diamonds glinted in the sunlight and Liz ran her finger over the rigid surface of one of them.

Klaus pressed a kiss to her forehead and placed the diadem on top of her head. He summoned his own crown and took a deep breath. Liz held her hand out for it and Klaus smiled before handing it over to her. “Lower your head please.”

Klaus did as she asked and bowed his head. Liz tenderly touched one of his horns and a growl rumbled in his chest. “Stop that, we don’t have time for you to be tempting me right now.”

Liz laughed and placed the crown on his head. Klaus raised to his full height and appraised her. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“You look like a Queen.”

Liz didn’t reply but she did press a kiss to his cheek. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Klaus grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. He pulled her forward and Liz laughed as they walked through the gate hand in hand.

The streets were busy with angels coming and going. Liz watched the activity with curiosity. Klaus pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her shoulders so he could help her navigate the crowd. Once the angels noticed him walking among them though they gave him a wide berth. Liz frowned at their actions and glanced up at Klaus in question.

He noticed her expression and lowered his head so he could hear her over the noise of the angels. “Why are they avoiding you?”

“I’m the god of the dead, love. It doesn’t matter that I’m technically one of them, I make them incredibly nervous. Just ignore it, I can’t really blame them for being uneasy and I can’t complain because it means I don’t have to talk to a lot of people.” He smiled at her and Liz laughed. He pressed a kiss to her temple and a few of the angels looked surprised at the casual show of affection.

Klaus led her easily through the streets and soon they were approaching a large open terrace. Flowers and crystals hung from the wooden beams that were stretched across the area. The terrace looked out over the expanse of open sky and the sunlight danced off of the crystals and the gleaming marble floor. There were two staircases on either side of the grassy area. An aisle connected them and another aisle ran down the center of the terrace. At the end of the balcony, on a platform, sat an alter. A large golden bowl was sitting on the smooth surface of the table and Ari the god of love was standing behind it.

Klaus and Liz made their way through the crowd and found a spot that was fairly unoccupied. It had a nice view of the altar and Liz took a moment to look around.

The archangels and their seconds were easy to spot in the crowd because of the crowns they wore. Liz found Elaine on the other side of the room and gasped at the sight of her friend.

She was wearing a white and gold sleeveless dress and a votum Liz had never seen before. It was made of gold and diamonds and stretched the length of her neck and even over her collarbones and shoulders. Delicate crystal strings hung from her shoulders and ran down the length of her biceps. Her hair was loose and curled. Elaine was always beautiful but it was the first time Liz had ever seen her look so angelic.

She was pressed against Sebastian’s side and the two of them were talking and laughing quietly to one another. Liz smiled at the sight and shook her head. Everyone was so happy today and the feeling was infectious.

Music began to float through the air from somewhere Liz couldn’t place and the crowd quieted down. She could feel Klaus at her back and Liz leaned back against him as she waited for the ceremony to start. She had no idea what to expect and she was very excited.

The volume of the music increased and the doors on top of the staircases opened. Moira and Karina descended the staircases opposite one another, both of their eyes were focused on the steps in front of them as they walked. Then as one, they both looked up and stilled when they caught sight of each other. They beamed and continued to walk down the aisle slowly. They were both in beautiful gowns in different shades of green. Emeralds were braided into their hair and they glinted in the sunlight.

It was the first time Liz had ever seen the Goddess of Wisdom up close and Karina was stunning. She was tall and the way her body moved was so graceful it was almost like she was floating. Her dark hair fell down her back in long layers and the contrast of its color was stark against her skin. She carried herself with confidence and poise.

They met at the intersection of the two aisles and moved to stand in front of each other. Karina rested her forehead against Moira’s and the two of them exchanged hushed whispers. Moira laughed at something Karina said and both of their bodies relaxed significantly. After a moment they turned and walked down the other aisle where Ari was waiting.

They ascended the stairs and came to stand in front of the altar. Ari smiled at both of them and began to speak.

Liz was stunned when she realized it was in a language she had never heard before. The words he spoke were so melodic they sounded like a song. The way the language lifted and rolled off of his tongue was mesmerizing and Liz watched the ceremony with great interest.

“He’s welcoming everyone to the ceremony and reciting the opening prayer.”

Liz jumped when Klaus spoke in her ear and she glanced back at him. “What language is that?” She whispered.

“My language.” Klaus bent down to whisper. “The angels have a language all their own. You’ve never heard it because we use the language you know when you’re around. The two meetings you attended, we spoke your language out of respect to you. We’re ultimately hardwired to care for humans and it was a courtesy.”

Liz tilted her head as she listened and tried to commit the sound of the language to memory. She could listen to someone speak those words for the rest of her life and never grow tired of it.

Ari talked for a few minutes and then dipped his hand in the bowl placed in front of him. When he removed his hand again there was gold paint on his fingertips. He reached out and drew a line of gold paint across the throat of Karina and then Moira. Both bowed their heads at the gesture and Ari took their hands in his and then joined them together.

Karina and Moira faced each other and intertwined their other hand as well. A slow smile spread across Moira’s face as she watched the woman she loved. Her voice was steady and strong as she began to talk. Her wings spread behind her and Karina’s did the same.

“They’re exchanging vows,” Klaus whispered. He wrapped an arm around Liz’s waist and pulled her back against him so he could speak quietly into her ear. Liz leaned into his embrace and lost herself in the words.

“The sun dances at this festival of love, this dance of light.” Klaus translated. His breath was warm against Liz’s skin and she tilted her head so she could hear him easier. “This sacred blessing, this divine love, beckons us to a world beyond only lovers can see with their eyes of passion. We are the chosen ones that have surrendered. Once we were particles of light now we are the radiant sun. We have left behind the world of deceitful games. We are the privileged lovers who create a new world with our passion.” 

Liz looked back over her shoulder at him and gazed up into his eyes as he spoke. “You are the marrow in my bones and the blood in my veins. I shall give you my body, that the two might be one. I shall give you my whole soul, until our world ends.”

Liz couldn’t tear her eyes from his and her breath hitched as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her heart hammered in her chest and she was sure Klaus could hear it. It would be impossible for him not to. Did he understand how much he affected her? She stretched up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

It took her longer than she cared to admit before she remembered that they weren’t alone and they were supposed to be paying attention to a ceremony. She tore her gaze from Klaus’ and turned back towards the wedding.

Karina repeated the same emotional vows as Moira and when she was done a flash of light erupted from both of them. Liz shielded her eyes against the brightness and when her eyes focused again she gasped. Both angels now had votums made of silver and rubies around their necks.

A bubbling laugh escaped from Karina and she reached out to touch Moira’s votum. Moira stepped up to her wife and smiled at her. Karina leaned forward and kissed her softly. Her hands framed her wife’s face and Moira leaned into the touch.

The crowd of angels erupted in applause and Karina and Moira wound their arms around each other. Liz could feel her eyes getting watery and she clapped along with the angels.

Klaus’ grip on her waist tightened and Liz squeezed his arm.

“Watch.”

Klaus pointed to the other side of the room and Liz watched as Sebastian and Elaine raised their hands to the sky. Golden light erupted from their palms and a shower of shimmering flower petals fell from the sky. Liz smiled at the sight and held her palm out to catch one of the golden petals.

Phaedon raised his hands and a blue light shot from his palm and blue petals fell down on the crowd. Klaus and the other archangels followed suit and soon flower petals of every hue imaginable fell and danced around the couple.

Liz laughed and Klaus spun her around to face him. He kissed her passionately and Liz gripped his shoulders as he deepened the kiss. When they broke apart they were breathless and grinning at each other like fools.

The crowd began to talk and converged on Moira and Karina to congratulate them. Klaus and Liz watched the happy couple.

“Should we just ask Ari to conduct another wedding?” Phaedon’s voice drifted over to them and Klaus and Liz turned to face him.

“No.” Klaus and Liz answered at the same time and Phaedon smiled.

“Mmhmm. We’re all here it would save us from having to get dressed up again.”

“I think we’re too early in our relationship for a wedding,” Liz replied and Klaus squeezed her shoulders in agreement. “Plus, we wouldn’t want to take away from Moira and Karina’s day.”

“If you say so.” Phaedon shook his head. “I have a feeling it won’t be much longer for you two, though.”

“Well, then you know something we don’t.” Klaus shrugged. “We get the hint. Now stop breaking into my vaults and taking things that don’t belong to you.”

“Ahh, so you saw my not so subtle attempt to tell you to get a move on. Liz looks nice in a votum.” Phaedon’s smile widened.

Klaus sighed and Liz shook her head. “Phaedon we’ve been dating for two weeks. There is absolutely no rush.”

“Hmm. Are you staying for the festivities?” Phaedon asked.

“Can we?” Liz turned around to look at Klaus. “You really need to relax and enjoy yourself and this gives you an excuse.”

“We can.” Klaus sighed. He offered Liz his arm but before she could take it Theodora approached them.

“You two can party after we finish our duties. We still have the relocation ceremony to perform.” She pointed to Klaus and then Phaedon. “You’re needed at the gates to the garden. We can’t open them without you, Nikolaus.”

Klaus exhaled through his nose and gave Theodora a firm nod. “I forgot.”

“I figured, considering you and Liz have been ogling each other since you both stepped into the room. It’s almost nauseating.” Theodora winked at Liz.

“Come on.” Phaedon slipped his arms through Klaus’ and then Theodora’s. “Let’s get this done so we can drink and lose ourselves in the party.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.” Klaus pressed a kiss to Liz’s jaw and she could feel a blush creeping up her neck. Klaus smirked when he noticed the heat in her cheeks. He nipped at her jaw and Liz’s breath hitched. She could’ve sworn she heard Phaedon mutter ‘oh just sleep together already’ but she chose to ignore him.

Liz watched them go with a slightly dazed expression on her face. Spyridon approached her and offered her his arm. Liz took it and glanced up at him.

Liz cleared her throat awkwardly and Spyridon chuckled. “Where are they going? What’s a relocation ceremony?”

“You know how the mortals have a garden of souls in the underworld?” Spyridon asked as he steered Liz out of the room. “Well, the angels have a garden of souls as well. It’s here in the heavens. When angels are married their flowers are moved so they can grow next to each other. The archangels have a ceremony they have to perform in order to do it. The gates to the garden can only be opened by the god of the dead and the goddess of the living. That’s why Theodora needed Nikolaus. It doesn’t take long so they should join us again soon.”

“What happens during that ceremony?” Liz glanced up at him.

“Nikolaus and Theodora open the gate by offering up their blood. After that, the archangels enter the garden and use magic to move the flowers. It’s simple, they just have to use a spell. Once it’s done the flowers disappear and reappear next to each other where they’ll grow for eternity.” Spyridon smiled. “It’s a rather beautiful thought. It’s said that some flowers even grow towards each other before the angels even get married. My flower was on the opposite side of the garden from Phaedon’s and it always seemed to grow or turn towards his even before we fell in love.”

“That is a beautiful thought.” Liz grinned. 

“It is.” Spyridon’s green eyes danced as he talked. “Are you ready to navigate your first heavenly party?”

“I think so.” Liz tilted her head. “Anything I should know?”

“These parties are a game.” Spyridon said. “Gossip and scandals are to be expected and the courtiers are like vultures. They watch us constantly to see if we slip up just so they’ll have something to talk about for the next month or so. As long as everyone holds their liquor then nothing too bad usually happens.”

“What’s the worst thing that ever happened?” Liz asked.

Spyridon exhaled as he thought about her question. A smile suddenly tugged at his lips. “Oh a lot of interesting things have happened over the years. It would take me days to tell you all the stories. There are a few things you can count on though. Isidore will get drunk which is actually a whole lot of fun. It mellows him out. Orestes, Sebastian’s second has fire magic and when he gets bored or excited then he accidentally sets things on fire. That happens a lot. Elaine and Sebastian always leave early. They aren’t one for parties, thank god. When they start making eyes at each other it’s almost tooth rottingly sweet which is an odd thing to say about the god of the sky.”

Liz snorted at his statement and the thought of Sebastian being sweet. Spyridon smiled at her. “It’ll be fun. Just don’t drink more than one glass of punch. Your human body could not handle any more than that, I promise.”

“Noted.” Liz laughed and walked into the ballroom.

* * *

It didn’t take long for the archangels to join the festivities. Karina and Moira were glowing and they couldn’t take their eyes off of each other. They were so happy and Liz smiled as she watched them.

Klaus materialized next to her and she glanced back at him. “Are your duties done?”

“They are.” He held his hand out to her and she placed her hand in his. Their fingers brushed together and Liz shivered at his calloused touch. She let out a shaky breath and Klaus tilted his head.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I’m suddenly wishing we were somewhere a little more private.” Liz blushed as she admitted her thoughts. Klaus’ eyes darkened and he gripped her arm and pulled her against him.

“Oh?” His voice was husky and he shot her a teasing glance. “And what would we be doing if we were alone?”

Liz’s skin felt like it was on fire and she glared at him. “Don’t be obtuse.”

Klaus leaned down to nibble on Liz’s earlobe. “I’m not being obtuse, love. Remember I don’t play games. So, why don’t you tell me exactly what you want me to do to you when we’re alone.” Liz looked up and her gaze burned into his. 

“I’m not sure exactly.” She smirked at him. “I think I would have to defer to your expertise in that situation. All I know is that I want your hands and mouth on me. Where we go from there is up to you.”

Klaus’ hand clenched her hip and he hissed. “This evening is going to go by painfully slow.” Liz winked at him and Klaus shook his head. “You know, I’m the one who is half demon, shouldn’t I be the one tempting _you_?”

“Who says you aren’t?” Liz raised an eyebrow and Klaus barked a laugh. 

“Dance with me.”

It wasn’t a question but Liz nodded and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

They danced several dances together, soft, slow, and pressed together. Then Phaedon, Spyridon, and Theodora stepped in and Liz danced with each of them in turn. It was fun and Liz liked seeing the relaxed side of all the archangels. There was no bickering, no talk of politics, it was just a group of people celebrating a marriage of their friends.

Phaedon twirled Liz across the dance floor expertly and Liz giggled at the elated feeling in her chest. He was light on his feet and he kept singing along to the songs in Liz’s ear. The song ended and the crowd of angels erupted in applause. Phaedon kissed Liz’s cheek and she smiled up at him.

“Thanks for the dance.” Phaedon winked at her.

“You’re a good partner,” Liz smirked and Phaedon squeezed her arm. He glanced over her shoulder and Liz noticed his blue eyes darken slightly. “What is it?”

She turned around and came face to face with Sebastian. He tilted his head at her and Liz took an involuntary step away from him. He smirked at the action and held his hand out. “Would you like to dance?”

Liz hesitated and she could feel Phaedon’s tension behind her. She allowed herself a glance up into Sebastian’s eyes and assessed him wearily. She was immensely curious about him and now might be a good time to get some answers to the questions that had been mulling around in her head. She should also be nice, if only for Elaine’s sake. 

“I won’t bite.” He wiggled his fingers at Liz.

Liz sighed and placed her hand in his. “I don’t believe that for a moment.” Sebastian almost gave her a genuine smile, not a smirk of arrogance, but an actual surprised grin. He forced it down though and pulled Liz to him. A warning growl rumbled in Phaedon’s chest and Liz looked back at him.

“Your guard dog is getting uneasy,” Sebastian whispered to her.

“I’m fine, Phaedon.” Liz smiled at him.

“We’re in a room full of angels and one of them is my wife. She is probably the scariest out of the bunch, and she is also incredibly fond of Miss Hart. You really think I’m going to harm her?” Sebastian looked Phaedon up and down.

“It’s just one dance and then you and I can dance some more.” Liz smiled at Phaedon and allowed Sebastian to lead her further onto the dance floor. The music began and Sebastian pulled her against him. This was the closest that Liz had ever been to him and she used this time to inspect him. 

He had more scars than she initially thought. Not just on his face and neck but on his hands and forearms as well. They were very faint but they were there.

“You’re staring,” Sebastian spoke up and Liz blushed.

“You have a lot of scars.” Liz tilted her head.

“I’m old and I fought in the war. Scars come with the job.” Sebastian replied. It was his turn to assess her and Liz’s blush darkened under his scrutiny. 

“Now you’re staring.” Liz retorted. “Why?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what interest Nikolaus has in you. You seem to be an ordinary human woman to me.” 

“There is nothing wrong with being an ordinary human,” Liz replied.

“I guess that depends on who you ask,” Sebastian said. “What do you do on Earth to occupy your time?”

“In the past, I took care of the animals in my village and now I attend an academy where I’m learning to use magic.”

“What village are you from? Are you any good at magic?”

“I’m from Reitz. My magic is alright, but Klaus is training me and I’m getting better.” Liz glanced up at him and when he looked down at her she looked away.

“Your reactions are very entertaining,” There was humor in Sebastian’s voice.

Liz glared at him and chewed on her lip. “Did I detect a trace of humor in your voice? I didn’t think you were capable of showing other emotions besides arrogance and superiority.” Liz gave him a tight smile.

Sebastian scoffed and shook his head. “You talk big for a human.”

“I don’t like you. If I did I would be nicer.” Liz stated. “Why did you ask me to dance? I know you don’t like me either.”

“Curiosity.” Sebastian shrugged. “You’ve captivated all these angels and I don’t understand it.”

“Maybe it’s because I act decently. You should try it.” 

The song ended and Sebastian released her. “Thank you for the dance. This conversation has been enlighting and I’ve managed to piss off my little brother in the process.” Sebastian pointed over to the edge of the dancefloor to where Klaus and Phaedon were. They were both glaring daggers at Sebastian. “Have a good night Miss Hart.” 

Sebastian smiled and turned on his heel before disappearing into the crowd. Liz felt her anger boil as she watched him go. She really needed to talk to Elaine because she didn’t understand what her friend saw in Sebastian. She shook her head and made her way over to Klaus.

He was walking towards her and he attempted to walk past her so he could go after Sebastian. Liz stopped him and grabbed his forearm. “Let’s go,” She spoke softly and tugged on Klaus’ arm. “Come on.”

Klaus relented and followed her out of the reception area. They walked hand in hand down the deserted streets and Liz felt the uneasiness drain from Klaus’ body bit by bit.

“I don’t trust Sebastian at all. Just be careful around him, please.” Klaus sighed and draped his arm across Liz’s shoulders. He pulled her into his side and Liz wrapped her arm around his waist. She squeezed his side and he looked down at her.

“You have to trust me, Klaus. I’m a big girl and we were in a room full of archangels. I wasn’t in any kind of danger.” Liz shrugged and Klaus ran his hand through his hair.

“Sebastian cut Elias’ wings off Liz. My father held him down while Sebastian carved the wings from his body. It was messy and cruel and it destroyed Elias. He was completely broken when I finally got to him. You’re kind by nature and that is something I admire about you but don’t let that kindness become naivety.”

Klaus looked down at her and searched her gaze. He implored her to understand how dangerous Sebastian could be. He and his older brother would always despise each other and he didn’t want Liz ever caught in the middle of that. Elaine was constantly navigating the turmoil of their relationship, he didn’t want that for Liz. He pressed a kiss to her hair and Liz sighed.

“Take me back to the underworld and let’s relax. I want to sit by the fire with you and do nothing.” Liz turned to face him and Klaus touched her shoulder. Her pants, coat, and boots appeared on her. Klaus changed also and gripped Liz’s waist.

“It’s still early and I haven’t seen your progress in a week. We could work on your spell casting.” Klaus smirked at her and Liz gaped at him.

“You take me to a lovely wedding, dance with me, and kiss me and you want me to go do schoolwork?” Liz shook her head.

Klaus smiled and bent to press a kiss to her neck. Liz hummed as his kisses became urgent against her skin. Suddenly she felt his fangs graze the side of her throat and she gasped. When he raised his head to look at her, his eyes shifted from their violet color to solid black. He grasped her chin and forced her to bare her neck to him. “How about we go home,” He nipped at her neck and Liz moaned at the feeling of his teeth. “And undress,” His fingers knotted in her hair and he pulled on it sharply. “And then I’m going to take you very, very slowly, until the only thing you can think of is my lips, teeth, and tongue against your skin.”

“That sounds a whole lot better than schoolwork.” Liz breathed. Klaus laughed at her response and sunk his teeth into the side of her throat. Liz gasped and her hands fisted in the front of Klaus’ shirt. He soothed the bite with his tongue and raised his head to look at her. 

“Let’s go.” 

Liz nodded and gripped his shoulders. Klaus lifted her into his arms and stepped off of the cloud. His wings snapped out and they soared through the sky for several minutes. Suddenly Klaus folded his wings against himself and their altitude dropped as they fell towards the earth. He leveled them out and they touched down on the mountain softly.

Liz was still in his arms and she buried her face against his chest. She could feel the heat of hands on her waist, the warmth of them seeping into her bones. She looked up at him and their noses brushed. The hesitant bump made them both smile and Liz stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Klaus’ hands drifted lower and Liz arched against him. Klaus took a few steps forward forcing Liz to step back. She found herself up against a tree and Klaus covered her body with his. The bark dug into her back as Klaus deepened their kiss. Liz tilted her head up and allowed him to explore her mouth with his tongue.

One of his hands drifted to her thigh and Klaus hitched her leg over his hip. Liz moaned at the feel of his body pressed against hers.

Suddenly Klaus went rigid and he wrenched himself away from Liz. He took a few steps back and raised his head to the air and sniffed. Several emotions crossed his face at once and exhaled angrily through his nose.

“Klaus?”

A growl rumbled in his chest and he reached behind him and pulled something from his shoulder. The object was small and Liz took a step towards him so she could see what was in his palm. Her eyes widened when she realized he was holding some sort of dart.

“Did you just get shot with that?” Liz asked. She couldn’t help the panic that crept into her voice. Her gaze roamed the trees looking for the source of the attack but she couldn’t see anything through the dense greenery.

“We need to get out of here now.” Klaus grabbed Liz and waved his hand in the air. They waited for a portal to the underworld to appear but nothing happened.

A numbness began to creep down Klaus’ back and he picked the dart up off the grass. He sniffed it once and swore when he recognized the scent.

“What is it?” Liz asked.

“Poison. It’s used to combat angels. It numbs our wings and locks down our magic. I can’t even summon my swords.” He said. “We have no way of leaving this location.”

Rustling could be heard behind them and Klaus turned to find the source of the noise. The smell of sulfur filled the air and five demons stalked forward from the edge of the trees. Klaus placed himself between Liz and the demons and bared his fangs at them.

“You don’t happen to have your wand with you?” Klaus asked.

“I don’t,” Liz whispered.

“Alright then. I guess I have to use the only other weapon at my disposal.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I’m going to make a hole for you through the demons. When I do, I want you to run into the woods. Don’t stop running and don’t look back. I’ll be right behind you. Get ready to move.”

One of the demons lunged at Klaus. He dodged the blow and began to run forward. Shadows engulfed and surrounded him as he moved. When the darkness cleared his demon form was standing in front of them. He roared and the forest rumbled and shook. He reached out and grabbed the nearest demon with his large clawed hand and slammed it into the ground. A loud crunch filled the air as the body hit the forest floor and the demon didn’t move again.

Klaus raised his head and snarled viciously at the four other demons. They backed away from him slowly, their eyes never leaving his. His scaled tail whipped through the air angrily and his clawed feet dug into the ground as he took up a fighting stance. Liz watched with bated breath as she waited for the fight to start.

Klaus towered above the other demons and Liz knew none of them would make it out of this clearing alive. Klaus tilted his head at his attackers and the first demon shot forward. Klaus grabbed the demon by the throat and snapped the creature’s neck in one smooth motion.

Liz saw her chance and darted into the cover of the woods as the fighting grew louder around her. She did as Klaus instructed and ran as fast as she could through the forest.

They would make it out of this. They would be fine.

She repeated those words like a mantra as she dodged tree after tree.

A thought slammed into her like a wall and despite the situation, she smiled. A plan formed in her mind. She took a deep breath and then she began to pray.

The gods heard her prayers once all those years ago when she was dying. Maybe one would hear her now.

She sighed and a calmness settled over her body. This would work, it had to.

“I pray to the god of frivolity, the goddess of life, the god of love, the god of war, any god or goddess that is listening. I need help, right now.”


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a small fight scene at the beginning here so there will be mentions of blood and violence. It doesn’t get too graphic. Also, in order to cure Klaus, Daphne has to give him a shot. I don’t describe it but I know a lot of people are scared of shots. I wanted to put a little warning here at the beginning so you all would be aware of it.

Liz’s lungs burned as she raced through the dense forest. She could no longer hear Klaus and the demons fighting as she put distance between herself and the danger. She couldn’t keep up her pace much longer but there was no way she was allowing herself to stop.

“Please,” she panted as she continued to pray. “Please, someone hear me. Klaus needs help, he’s been poisoned. I’ll take anyone, even Isidore or Sebastian.”

The snap of branches and rustles of bushes caught her attention and Liz looked around for the source of the sound. Her stomach sank in horror when she saw demons running through the trees on either side of her. They flanked her and their smell of brimstone was overwhelming. She could feel the heat from their bodies like a furnace as they flanked her.

Their teeth and claws gleamed stark against their fur as Liz assessed them. They had her surrounded on all sides and there was no way she could break through the wall they had formed around her. She wasn’t stupid. She knew that she didn’t stand a fighting chance against demons so any hope of escape was out of the question.

Suddenly a howl broke through the forest and the demons tensed around her. The sound of pounding steps could be heard and another howl echoed, much closer this time.

Liz couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face when Cerberus and the other hellhounds emerged from the trees. They came up alongside the demons and Cerberus snarled as he swiped his large paw at the nearest enemy. He threw his head back and barked loud and long, it was a signal.

The hellhounds ripped into the demons around Liz and she did her best to tune out the sound of dying around her. Cerberus thinned their numbers and Liz spotted a break in the trees in front of her. She hurled herself through the thicket and the branches there scratched at her skin.

Liz didn’t even have time to wince before two dark figures cut her off, preventing her escape. The air left her body in a whoosh as one of them grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

“Move any closer, pup and I’ll snap her bones.” The demon hissed at Cerberus as he tried to move closer to Liz. The demon panted and a wicked laugh escaped though it’s clenched fangs. “You will bleed, human.” He opened his jaws and a bone-shattering roar rocked the forest.

It didn’t come from the demon in front of Liz, though. The noise hadn’t even subsided before the demon went crashing into a tree, its claws sliding from Liz’s neck. They raked across her chest and her skin burned at the feel of the talons digging into her flesh. 

The wood cracked under the force of the demons impact and then suddenly Klaus was there, his hand at the demon’s throat. His black claws gleamed in the light before he tore into the creature, its flesh giving way under the sharp points. Klaus let out another roar that caused Liz’s blood to freeze in her veins and bared his long canines. Cerberus was on Liz in an instant, he forced her to the forest floor and stood over her, protecting her. 

Klaus placed himself in front of Liz and Cerberus. The other hellhounds paced restlessly behind him as they waited for his lead. The fur on Klaus’ back stood on end as he raised his hackles and crouched. His body was wound tight as he took up a defensive stance. 

Liz felt a warm sticky sensation underneath her and her chest burned. The grass underneath her was stained red and her hands shook as she clutched at the greenery. She was bleeding.

Suddenly more demons and seraphim walked from the trees in front of Klaus and a sickening realization settled over Liz. The demons who had attacked them minutes ago were just a distraction. This was the real ambush and now Klaus was facing off against demons and seraphim. He had none of his power and Liz had no idea what the poison was doing to the rest of him. It would be a miracle if they made it out of this.

As the seraphim positioned themselves within the ranks of the demons, a loud boom echoed across the sky. Liz covered her ears at the sound and winced as her movements pulled the wound on her chest.

Two figures slammed into the ground in front of her and Cerberus covered Liz’s body with his own as dirt and rocks scattered through the air. When the dust cleared Phaedon and Elaine were flanking Klaus. Elaine looked around frantically and relaxed the instant her eyes found Liz. 

When she realized Liz was bleeding her nostrils flared in anger before she snarled at the demons. Liz had never seen her look so feral. Her fangs flashed as she snapped them at the demons and emerald colored claws gleamed at the tips of her fingers. 

“Liz is bleeding.” She hissed. Phaedon whipped around to look at Liz and a look of outrage crossed his features. 

Phaedon was a vision of hostility and anger as he roared. The earth rumbled and his eyes flashed blue as he bared his fangs. Silver armor replaced the suit on his body and claws slid from his fingers. The armor was well used, the etching on the metal was scratched and scuffed. Liz wondered how many battles Phaedon had fought and what damage he could do. He held out his hand and a sword appeared in his grasp

“Get them contained Elaine and then see to Liz,” Phaedon ordered.

Elaine walked forward and Liz noticed then that she wasn’t wearing any armor. The only thing she wore were pants, boots, and a plain tunic. A baldric like the one Liz had seen Sebastian use was draped across her shoulder, golden knives gleamed in their sheaths. Why would Elaine do something as foolish as not wear armor? 

“I won’t be able to hold them for long I don’t have Sebastian here to draw power from.” Elaine rolled her shoulders.

“Just seize the seraphim long enough for Klaus and I to kill them. You can slaughter the demons however you see fit.” Phaedon said.

The demons didn’t seem very afraid of Klaus and Phaedon. They were too busy watching Elaine with fearful eyes. Liz heard them all whisper the word ‘adripio’ over and over as Elaine walked slowly towards them. They backed away quickly and she smirked at their fear, her green eyes flashed. 

Liz understood then why Elaine wasn’t wearing any armor. It was because she was deadly enough without it.

Elaine slammed her palms together and a loud boom erupted through the clearing. Suddenly every demon and seraphim in the area froze in place. At once they convulsed and arched towards her like puppets being manipulated by a marionettist. With a twist of her wrist, they lifted into the air and began to gasp for breath. 

Elaine’s arms shook and she cried out as she closed her outstretched hands into fists. Her hands began to glow and a sickening crack resounded through the mass of demons as every single one of their hearts were ripped from their chests. Their bodies crumpled to the ground as Elaine opened one of her palms. The seraphim still struggled within her grasp though as they waited for the archangels to advance. 

“Kill them now.” Elaine panted. “I can only hold them for a moment longer.”

Klaus ran forward and took the nearest seraphim to the ground. In one fluid motion, he gutted the beast before moving onto the next one. Phaedon cut down two when suddenly Elaine whimpered. Her whole body was shaking and her breathing was coming far too quickly. 

“My powers are gone. They’re about to break free.” She dropped her arms and the seraphim shattered their confinement. 

Elaine ran at Liz and skidded in front of the other woman, her short swords materialized in her hands. She engaged a seraphim and Liz had trouble keeping up with her she was so quick. Elaine’s face was calm as she focused and she cut the seraphim’s arm clean off. It shrieked at her and she put her blades to its throat.

“I need a kill over here!” Elaine yelled as she struggled with her hold on the creature. There were too many of them and it was becoming apparent that the three angels were outmatched. 

“Elaine, open a portal!” Phaedon ordered. He took the enemy from her grasp and snapped its neck. Elaine waved her hand and a portal appeared. Klaus scooped up Liz and bounded into the portal while Phedon and Elaine fended off the seraphim. 

Now that Liz was pressed against Klaus she could feel the change in him. Power thrummed through his body in agitation, almost like the lethal power was being held back by a string that could snap at any moment. His movements were fast and precise as he moved through space and into the underworld.

Liz felt very small against him. She was already short but in this form, he towered over her. Even the size of his hand could span the length of her back. 

He strode into his study and set Liz on her feet before beginning to pace. The underworld seemed to move and gravitate around him, even the clouds in the sky followed his path. 

“Lilith, Randy!” His voice boomed through the realm and Liz had never heard it sound so guttural. He continued to pace like a caged animal and Liz watched his movements wearily. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her but she had no idea how to interact with him in this form. His mannerisms were more animal than human at this point and the long scaled tail behind him twitched in agitation. 

A second later a woman appeared in the study and strode towards him. Liz had never seen her before but she had read about Lilith in the book Elaine had given her. 

Lilith was ancient and responsible for torturing the unlucky souls that were sent to damnation. She could even walk through mortals dreams if Klaus wished for her to punish the living while they sleep. She kept all the souls of the enemies of heaven sealed away after their death and toys with them. Lilith was considered one of the most deadly demons in existence.

Liz observed her from her spot in front of the fire. Lilith was lithe and graceful. She wore fighting leathers that left her arms bare and the way the muscles shifted under her skin was intimidating. She looked like she could snap Liz in half if she wanted to. Her dark skin glowed in the firelight and her eyes were so brown they looked like freshly tilled earth. Two swords were strapped down her spine and her long black hair was braided back off her slender face. 

She tilted her head as she observed Klaus and she crossed her arms. “My Lord?”

“I was under the impression that you and Vincent had rounded up all the escaped demons on the surface,” Klaus spoke.

The calm in his voice was betrayed by his nervous movements and Lilith watched him. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “We did, but I can see you’re agitated so I take it you have some unfortunate news to share. Did you get ambushed?” she smirked and Klaus snarled.

“I’m not in the mood Lilith. Stop smirking at me and tell me why I was just attacked by demons if all of ours are accounted for? Did you check the cells in the lower pits of damnation when you did your initial headcount?” Klaus demanded.

Randy appeared out of thin air then and Klaus stopped talking. He pointed a clawed finger at Liz. “See to Liz’s wounds.” 

Randy’s gaze found Liz’s and his eyes widened when he saw the red stains across the front of her coat. He scrambled over to her and pushed her gently onto the couch. He placed a hand on the top of her head affectionately and despite the tense situation, Liz smiled weakly at him.

“I have to remove your shirt and coat so I can look at you,” Randy said. Liz nodded and Randy began to help her out of them. Liz whimpered as the movements pulled the cuts on her chest and Randy frowned. “Sorry Liz.” 

“It’s fine.” Liz grit her teeth as Randy helped her. When she was bare in front of him she relaxed back against the couch. Randy tsked as he looked her over. He knelt in front of her and looked into her eyes.

“Do the gashes burn? Not the normal burning sensation you get when you get a cut, but like a deep searing burning? Does it feel like your chest is going to burst into flames at any second?” Liz nodded and Randy frowned as he waved his hand. A vile appeared in his grasp and he leaned towards her.

He materialized a cloth and soaked it in the liquid from the vial. Liz winced as he began to clean her wounds.

“Sorry.” He whispered gently. “You’re lucky that whatever did this missed all the vital things. They just tore the skin, I should be able to get this healed up quickly. You’ll probably have scars, though.”

The scent of the liquid he was cleaning her with burned her nose and Liz wrinkled it. “What are you using on my wound?”

“Well, the size of the gashes and the way they were spaced apart suggests that you were cut by a demon. Some demons coat their claws in poison so it infects whoever they cut. This potion will combat that poison. Luckily you’re being treated very quickly so you aren’t in any danger. You might be a little sick for the next few days but you’ll be good as new in no time.” Randy replied. He finished with the vial and placed it on the floor. 

Liz glanced over at Klaus and Lilith and noticed they had moved outside to continue their discussion. Klaus was still moving around and Liz frowned when she noticed that his steps were slightly unsteady. 

“I’m going to heal you now and it’s going to hurt,” Randy said. Liz turned her attention back to Randy and nodded. He placed his hand on her chest and his palm began to glow.

Pain seared through her like a hot iron and she cried out. Outside the window, Klaus’ gaze immediately snapped towards her to see what was the matter. He relaxed when he saw that she was just being healed. Liz grit her teeth through the pain and gripped the edge of the couch. Her flesh began to stitch back together as Randy concentrated his power on her.

“Just a few seconds longer.” He murmured. 

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but Liz held them back. She didn’t want to cry in front of everyone. She squeezed her eyes shut and was thankful when the pain began to subside. She felt numb and she opened her eyes only to see Randy pulling away from her. He summoned a new shirt for her and handed it over.

Liz slipped it on and sighed at the feel of the soft cotton against her skin. “Thank you, Randy.”

“How do you feel?”

“My chest is numb but that is better than the pain,” Liz said.

“That medicine I cleaned you with will numb you for a few hours. After that you can rub this cream on it, it will help you not to scar and it will numb your cuts so they don’t hurt.” He handed her a jar.

Liz sat up and stood to her feet. “I’ll be sure to use it. Thanks.” 

Randy gave her a quick hug and sighed. “I’m glad you’re okay. I better go tell Vincent, Elias, and Amelia about what’s going on I’m sure they need to know.” 

Randy vanished and Liz slowly made her way out onto the balcony just in time to hear the end of Klaus and Lilith’s conversation. Elaine had made it back to the underworld and was watching Klaus nervously. Liz came to stand next to her and Elaine gave her a small smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m worried about Nikolaus. His breathing is uneven.” Elaine replied.

Liz watched him and Elaine was right he was breathing far too quickly. “He was hit with poison before the demons and seraphim attacked,” Liz said.

Elaine pushed off the railing and approached Lilith and Klaus. “That will be all for tonight, Lilith. We’ll discuss things more tomorrow when we call a meeting. Thank you for your time.”

Klaus glared at Elaine but she ignored him. Lilith nodded and smiled at Klaus. “Glad to see you’re okay. I would really like you to stop get hurt, it would make my job a hell of a lot easier and I actually like you.”

“Don’t tell that to me, tell that to the rebel demons who keep attacking me,” Klaus replied and Lilith snorted. 

“Maybe someday this realm will actually be peaceful.” She nodded to Klaus and was about to leave when she noticed Liz. “So you must be the human responsible for his attitude adjustment the last few months.”

Lilith walked over to Liz and winked at her. “He’s been so pleasant for the most part and it’s because of you.” Lilith leaned over to Liz and whispered. “Keep up the good work, you’re good for him. He deserves someone that keeps him happy and in line.”

“You were leaving Lilith.” Klaus hissed. Lilith laughed and nodded to Elaine and Klaus. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Please try to get some rest and stay out of trouble.”

Lilith vanished and Klaus staggered. Elaine caught him around the waist and winced. “You’re heavy could you shift back to your angel form, please? You and Liz are safe now.”

Klaus nodded and shadows engulfed him. When they cleared he was back to normal. He untangled himself from Elaine and his wings rustled. “I’m fine.”

“Liz said you were hit with poison. What kind?” Elaine demanded. 

“It was fenris.” Klaus breathed as he rubbed his temples. 

Elaine stiffened and reached out with her free hand to grab Liz. In an instant, they vanished and appeared in Klaus’ bedroom. She released Liz and lowered Klaus onto the bed. “Where did you get hit?”

“My back.”

“Are your wings still numb?”

“Yes.” 

Elaine sighed and summoned a piece of paper and a pen. She scrawled a quick note and it vanished into thin air.

“What did that say?” Klaus raised an eyebrow.

“Phaedon went back to the heavens so he could schedule an emergency council meeting for later. I was asking him to fetch Daphne and bring her here.” Elaine crossed her arms as she steeled herself. Klaus snarled at her and Elaine rolled her eyes. “She’s the only one that knows advanced poisons like this, Klaus. Randy or any of your demons couldn’t treat this. It’s a poison made to take down angels and they wouldn’t have this knowledge. I had to call her.”

Liz’s gaze cut back and forth to Klaus and Elaine as they stared each other down. Finally, after a minute Klaus growled. “Fine.” 

* * *

Phedon crumbled Elaine’s note as he walked into the gate of a garden. Phaedon was seething. His skin tingled as the rage rolled just beneath the surface of his being. Red flashed like blood in his vision as he threw open the doors to Sebastian and Elaine’s home. 

He stalked through the white marble corridors, trailing blood behind him until he found the room he was looking for. The study was impeccable and neat and the purity of the room set Phaedon’s teeth on edge. 

Sebastian was sitting at his desk his feet propped up on the clean surface. He lowered the book in his hand and downed the contents of the tumbler in his grasp. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Phaedon stormed towards him. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Sebastian drawled as he turned the page of his book. 

“Your brother was just attacked,” Phaedon said. 

“I’m aware.” 

“Well, where the hell were you?” Phaedon spat. “Your wife was there risking her life for Nikolaus. Why didn’t you go with Elaine as back up?” 

“You really shouldn’t be shocked about my apathy towards my brother’s life, Phaedon.” Sebastian snapped his fingers and his glass filled back up. “Why would I care?” 

Phaedon’s wings exploded from his back and he snarled viciously at Sebastian. “Stop this.” Phaedon gestured roughly towards the other angel. “This isn’t you. Everyone has humored your attitude for millennia and I’m done ignoring it. What happened to you? The Sebastian I grew up with would never act this way.” 

“We’re five thousand years old. You really think that people can’t change in that amount of time?” Sebastian scoffed. “That’s naive.” 

“People change but you are not the same man I knew. You were always a little cruel and arrogant but you cared so much for your fellow angels that you went to battle with gods on their behalf. I’ve seen you take blows for angels you’ve met only once, that’s how much you cared. I saw you do everything in your power to free Elaine from her captors. Yet, your own blood is in danger and you do nothing. What happened to you? What hardened you?” 

“I think it’s time for you to leave.” Sebastian sat up and leaned forward. His talons lengthened as he drummed his fingers against his desk. “Get out of my home.” 

“You,” Phaedon laughed bitterly. “You disgust me. You cut your brothers wings off. You maimed an angel and for nothing!” 

Phaedon knocked the tumbler out of Sebastian’s hand and bared his fangs at the other archangel. The crystal splintered across the floor. “Are you aware that Nikolaus was attacked today by seraphim _and_ demons. They are working together. For what reason, I don’t know but it can’t be good. You fought so hard for our freedom once, would you pick up your weapon again if a threat arises or are you going to let our world burn? Something is coming, I can feel it.” 

“Watch your step.” Sebastian hissed. A growl rumbled low in his chest and his canines lengthened as he glared at Phaedon. “I fought my battles. I’m done.” 

“So you wouldn’t go to battle if there was another war? You wouldn’t fight for your species? For our freedom?” Phaedon stepped back shocked. 

“Our species.” Sebastian scoffed. “Who’s to say the seraphim and demons won’t do a better job ruling than we have? There was no good in our species after the war. Not after the things we resorted to. All those seraphim we killed, all those gods, just so we could grasp at power.” Sebastian spat. “We might be gods but you forget that our power is stolen from the gods we killed. No one is safe from an uprising. Not even us.” 

“So we should just roll over and take it?” Phaedon argued. “They’re coming for us. Whether we want a fight or not. This wasn’t just a random attack on Nikolaus. This was organized.” 

Phaedon’s nostrils flared and his eyes glowed.“We were nothing under the thumb of the god’s rule. We weren’t ‘grasping at power’ we were fighting for our freedom from creators that didn’t care about us or the earth. You of all people should understand that. You were a favored angel under the god’s rule and that was not a loving position to be in. You saw their cruelty probably more than anyone and you took more abuse than any of us can imagine. I don’t know about you but I will fight until my last breath to defend that freedom. No demon or seraphim is going to take my hard-won power.” Phaedon roared. 

“Get out.” Sebastian’s eyes shifted to solid gold as he bared his fangs at Phaedon’s neck. 

“No, something is coming, something horrible and we need all the help we can get. Put your disgusting, hateful attitude to the side and help me figure out what is going on.” 

Sebastian stood and stormed out of the room and onto the balcony. 

“They’ll take her again, Bash. Ahaz will take Elaine if they fight us. What will you do then?” 

“If you aren’t gone by the time I get back then I will kill you,” Sebastian snarled over his shoulder. He took a running leap off of the balcony and Phaedon watched as he disappeared into the clouds. There was no way he could go after Sebastian, he was one of the best fliers the heavens had. Phaedon wouldn’t be able to catch up to him.

Phaedon growled and clenched his fists. He was tempted to wait for Sebastian to come back so he would have a reason to punch the other angel in the teeth. That wouldn’t help the situation, though. He sighed and leashed his anger. He had a council meeting to organize and he had to fetch Daphne.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache began to pound between his eyebrows. He laughed bitterly and shook his head. He would almost rather fight Sebastian then go see Daphne. At least an angry archangel was easier to deal with than she was.

With one last look at the study, he turned and headed out of the house.

* * *

Liz walked back and forth slowly as her mind tried to process all that had happened in the last hour. Every once in awhile she would cast a worried glance towards Klaus. He was sitting on the edge of his bed. The only signs of his discomfort were his rapid breathing and the shaking of his hands. 

“Liz.” 

She had been staring at the floor and her head snapped up when she heard her name. Klaus extended his hand to her and Liz crossed the room to take it. It was the first time he had acknowledged her since the study. She wasn’t upset, she was trying to give him some space. She knew he was out of sorts after a transformation and that, along with the pain he was in, must be hard to deal with. 

She squeezed his hand and he pulled her to stand in front of him. She was standing in between his legs now and he leaned forward to press his forehead into her stomach. His arms encircled her and Liz threaded her fingers through his hair. 

“Are you alright?” His voice was muffled against her and she tightened her grip in his hair.

“I’m fine, just worried about you,” Liz whispered.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

“Look at me Klaus.” 

His eyes found hers and they were like onyx, none of the violet color she loved was there. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. His grip on her waist tightened as he deepened the kiss. Liz pulled away and rested her forehead against hers. 

“I don’t mind your demon form, I just don’t know how to interact with you when you’re like that. I wasn’t afraid of you, though.” Liz smiled. “Thank you for protecting me. I don’t ever want you to worry about keeping a part of yourself hidden from me. Don’t apologize for using your other form to save us.” 

Klaus kissed her again and Liz sighed. “So,” she pulled away and sat down next to him on the bed. “Anything you want to tell me about Daphne before she gets here? Elaine and Theodora told me a little about her.”

“Of course they did.” Klaus rolled his eyes. He exhaled roughly and wrapped his arm around Liz’s shoulder. She leaned against him and Klaus kissed her hair.

“Daphne and I didn’t end on a good note. Our relationship was…” Klaus trailed off and looked slightly uncomfortable. “Explosive. All we did was fight and have sex. We weren’t good for each other. I was new to my position and couldn’t give her the attention she wanted. By the end we were so apathetic towards each other we hardly acknowledged each other unless it was to fight. Theodora and Elaine are protective of me so they like to blame Daphne for our unhappiness but it was my fault as well. Granted she didn’t understand my situation but I could’ve put forth a little more effort. She has a generally unpleasant attitude so people automatically keep her at a distance. She’s not so bad once you get past her rough edges.”

Klaus shrugged and squeezed Liz against him. “Hopefully she’ll be pleasant, I’ll get healed quickly, and then you and I can sleep off our injuries. How are the cuts on your chest?”

“They’re closed up and healing,” Liz said.

“I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw you in that demon’s grasp,” Klaus whispered. 

“I’m fine, you’ll be fine soon. We shouldn’t dwell on it.” Liz stood and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

A flash of light engulfed the room and suddenly Phaedon was standing in front of them. There was no trace of humor in his gaze as he stared at Klaus. “Daphne will be here in a minute she just had to gather her supplies.”

Elaine approached the group and Phaedon grabbed her arm. “I need to talk to you about Sebastian.”

Elaine sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “What happened?”

“Come with me.” Phaedon pulled her to the side and the two of them began to talk in hushed whispers. Klaus and Liz watched them for a minute before another flash of light rocked the room.

Daphne walked forward, her heels clicking against the marble. She exuded confidence as she approached Klaus and Liz. Her hair was black as night and it fell in loose curls down her back. It was a stark contrast to her porcelain skin. She wore a gray silk dress that hugged the curves of her body and was perfectly adorned with crystals. Purple iridescent wings spread behind her and she sat her bag down on the floor.

Her face was strikingly beautiful. It was perfectly angular, with high cheekbones and a pert nose. Her lips were full and painted red. When she smirked her fangs flashed in the lamplight.

“Nikolaus.” 

“Daphne, thank you for coming.” Klaus stiffened and they stared at each other for a minute. The atmosphere was extremely tense and Klaus narrowed his eyes at her.

Daphne rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “What did you get injected with?”

“Fenris and before you ask, my wings are still numb and I can’t use magic.” 

Daphne tilted her head for a moment and snapped her fingers. A bottle appeared in her hand. “Where did you get hit?”

“My shoulder.”

“Take off your shirt.” 

Klaus did as she said and turned around to expose his back to her. The injection site was on his right shoulder blade. It was a dark blue color and black tendrils spread from the wound and ran down Klaus’ back and around his wings. Liz reached out and squeezed his hand. Klaus kissed her palm and Liz rested her hand against his cheek.

Daphne looked him over and snapped her fingers again. A few more supplies appeared on the bed in front of her. She poured a potion on a cloth and began to slowly clean Klaus’ wound. Klaus growled at the pain and bared his fangs.

“Drink this.” Daphne reached around him and handed him another potion. She smiled coldly at him. “That will cure you and bring back your magic. I’m going to have to inject a potion at the base of your wings. It’s going to hurt.” 

Klaus nodded and released Liz’s hand. He gripped the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. Elaine and Phaedon had finished their discussion and walked back over to where Daphne, Liz, and Klaus were. Phaedon looked slightly more at ease now but Elaine looked like she was ready to gut someone. Liz wondered what Phaedon had told her. 

“Hold still, if you try to bite me I will restrain you,” Daphne said. Klaus growled at her but nodded.

Phaedon snorted. “How much do you want to bet that’s not the first time she’s said those words to him in this room.”

Daphne, Klaus, and Liz all narrowed their eyes at him and Elaine sighed. She rubbed her forehead and gave Liz a sympathetic smile.

“Elaine, hit him for me.” Klaus motioned to Phaedon with one hand. Elaine punched him hard in the arm and Phaedon yelped. Daphne laughed and smiled at Elaine.

“Thank you.” Klaus grinned.

“Ow.” Phaedon flipped Klaus off and rubbed his sore arm. 

Daphne shook her head and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She looked at Liz, her gaze assessing. “Liz, right?”

Liz nodded and Daphne smiled at her. It wasn’t cold or mocking like her other smiles and it softened her face up quite a bit. “Sit in front of Nikolaus and distract him. Angel’s are defensive of their wings and he might lash out if he feels me near them with an injection.” 

Liz stood up and knelt in front of Klaus. His hands went to her waist automatically and he gripped her hips roughly. Liz could see the panic in his eyes and she kissed the tip of his nose.

“I’m poking you in 3, 2, 1,” Daphne spoke softly and Klaus’s whole body tensed. 

“You’re okay,” Liz whispered and she reached out to touch his cheek. “She’s helping you, she isn’t hurting you.” 

Klaus’ breathing was coming fast and Liz placed a hand over his heart. “Calm down. No one in this room wants to hurt you. She has to touch your wings so she can cure them. Alright?”

Klaus nodded and kissed Liz softly. His body relaxed and he rested his head in the crook of her neck. His breath was warm against her skin and Liz began to stroke his hair. After a second Daphne stepped around him to join Phaedon and Elaine. 

“There, I’m done and you didn’t even feel anything. The feeling in your wings should come back in about an hour. The potion you drank should make you drowsy so you’ll sleep for a few hours and heal. Also, your body has been through a lot so you’re probably going to stress molt.”

Klaus groaned in annoyance and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, thank you for your help.”

“No problem. You’ll get my bill in a few days and it’s going to be astronomical. You know what I like though so I expect jewels.” Daphne smiled at him and turned on her heel. She nodded to Phaedon and Elaine. “See you at the council meeting.” 

She disappeared along with her supplies and Klaus relaxed. He spread his wings and frowned.

“How do you feel?” Elaine asked.

“My wings are still numb, I’m groggy because of that potion and my transformation. I don’t know whether I want to eat something or sleep.” Klaus yawned.

“Sleep and you can eat when you wake up,” Phaedon said. “Liz, I stopped on the surface and got you some food in between my trip to the heavens. It’s in the dining room. You need to eat as well.” 

“I’ll handle things at the council meeting later. You just worry about getting better.” Elaine squeezed Klaus’ arm.

“Alright, enough feeling sorry for me.” Klaus frowned at Phaedon and Elaine. “It’s making me agitated.”

Elaine rolled her eyes and Klaus smiled. “Are _you_ alright?” Klaus asked her. “I could hear what Phaedon was telling you about Sebastian.”

“I’m angry. I want to know why he doesn’t want to fight but I’ll hear his arguments at the meeting. I’ll be alright. I’m just very tired of all of this.” Elaine said.

Klaus nodded and Elaine shook her head as if to clear it. “Go to bed for a few hours and I’ll be back later to fill you in. Come on Phaedon.”

Elaine and Phaedon turned to leave but Liz stopped them. “Wait! Who heard my prayers earlier?” Liz asked.

“I did.” Phaedon pointed to himself and his gaze softened. “I will always come when you call Liz. Always.” 

The two angels vanished leaving Klaus and Liz alone. Klaus leaned against her and Liz laid her head on his shoulder. 

“This is not how I pictured the evening turning out,” Klaus grumbled and Liz laughed. She kissed his cheek and stood to her feet.

“Me either. We’ve got all the time in the world, though. Go to bed. I’m not tired so I think I’m going to go eat something and maybe go find Elias and Luca. I want to make sure they haven’t killed each other yet.”

Klaus snorted and stood. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “I’m going to pass out for a few hours. A little bit more sleep won’t kill me. Will you be here when I wake up?”

“Of course,” Liz whispered. She could feel his gaze on her as she walked towards the door. She smiled over her shoulder at Klaus before slipping out of the room.

* * *

Liz reclined against the couch in the study and relaxed as she read. She had eaten a good meal and treated her wounds. Now, all she was doing was relaxing for an hour or two before she went to check on Klaus. She was curled up with the book Elaine had given her and was enjoying learning about the underworld.

She had just gotten to a particularly interesting section when the underworld shook and rattled. A tremor rocked the realm and Liz sat up as she looked around frantically. 

Elaine appeared in a boom of thunder and the world darkened. She strode through the room and headed straight for a cabinet. She opened it and pulled a bottle of amber liquid out of the box. She took a long swig of it before hurling the crystal bottle against the nearest wall. She held her head in her hands and roared. The ground rumbled again and Liz gripped the couch.

“Elaine?”

She froze at the sound of Liz’s voice and whirled around to face her. She tried to school her features but it was too late. Her eyes shifted back to normal and she took a deep breath. “I didn’t realize anyone was in here.”

“Are you alright?” Liz stood to her feet slowly and walked around the couch towards her. Elaine wrung her hands together and ran a hand through her windswept hair.

“No, I’m not okay,” Elaine replied. Her voice was hard but Liz saw something else in her gaze. Tears welled in her eyes and Liz jumped forward so she could pull her friend into a hug. Elaine covered her mouth as a sob wracked her body and she allowed Liz to embrace her. “I just broke my eternal vow.” 

“What?” Liz’s eyes widened and Elaine nodded her head frantically. She sunk to the floor and Liz went with her and put her arm around her.

“What happened?”

“You should have seen him in that meeting Liz.” Elaine laughed bitterly as she wiped her tears. “He was so indifferent to what happened to Klaus. The demons and seraphim have never worked together, ever. The demons fought alongside us in the war and while a majority of them still remain here, and are loyal to Klaus, there is a large number dwelling among the seraphim right now. I got the numbers from Lilith earlier and apparently a lot of the older, nastier, demons escaped confinement and we didn’t even know about it.”

“That fact that Sebastian can’t see the looming threat, or doesn’t care bothers me. Phaedon, Isidore, and I ended up fighting with him and Ari while the rest of the council just watched us all yell at each other. The angels are scared, they don’t think we could survive another war if one broke out. I understand their fear but we can’t just stand by and watch it happen.” Elaine took a deep breath.

“Then someone suggested pulling Nikolaus out of the underworld and Dina out of the sea and letting the demons have run of the underworld and the earth. That would leave all the souls and humans at the mercy of the seraphim and demons while we locked ourselves away in the heavens. There is no way I would let that happen and luckily the majority of the council agrees with me.”

“As I sat there and watched him argue in favor of this I just couldn’t remember why I was loyal to him. Every time he does something I think ‘it surely can’t get worse’ and I move past it. Then it just gets worse. I should’ve left him when he hurt Elias.” Elaine sighed. “We were in the middle of the meeting and I just took back my vow right there in front of everyone.”

“And he didn’t care. I thought I saw something in his gaze, some sort of anguish cross his face but there was none. He just asked me if I was sure. I said yes and our votums vanished. After the meeting, Phaedon, Spyridon, and Isidore walked me to my house to get my things. Not that they don’t think I can handle myself, they were just concerned. Which was odd for Isidore.” Elaine scoffed.

“I’m sorry Elaine,” Liz whispered.

“Me too.” She closed her eyes.

Elaine sighed and stood to her feet. “I told you once that you can’t pick which parts of someone to love, and that’s true. Just make sure that their darkness doesn’t overshadow their light.” She brushed herself off and composed her emotions. “I’ll remain in the underworld for now. I don’t want to cross paths with Sebastian for a few weeks unless it’s in meetings. If you need me I’ll be in my rooms.”

“If you need anything you know where to find me,” Liz replied.

“I know. Thank you.” Elaine turned away from Liz and walked slowly out of the room. Liz watched her go and leaned back against the bookshelf. Her heart hurt for her friend and she really wanted nothing more than to punch Sebastian in the face.

* * *

Sebastian stormed along the banks of the underworld while he waited for Charis. He hated coming to this realm and the faster he could get this over with the faster he could get home. His wings spread behind him as he paced and his impatience made him irritable. 

The sound of the water moving caught his attention and the ferryman appeared through the fog on his boat. He pushed it to the banks and turned to Sebastian. He couldn’t see Charis’ eyes from under his hood but Sebastian knew the divine being was watching him carefully. 

“Why are you here archangel?” Charis’ gravely voice cut through the gloom of the underworld. 

“I need to cross into your realm. For some reason, I can’t teleport in so I was forced to wait on you.” Sebastian answered cooly.

“I would imagine.” Charis chuckled. “The commander has gone to great lengths to keep you from following her into this realm.”

“Elaine doesn’t need to flatter herself. I’m not here for her.” Sebastian said. “I have business with the fates.”

“Very well,” Charis responded. He beckoned with a skeletal hand and Sebastian stepped into the boat. “I can take you as far as their mountain.”

“Fine.”

Charis moved them through the murky waters for what seemed like hours before he docked along the shore. Sebastian departed the boat and began to walk up the path to the mountain.

“Only see the fates and then leave,” Charis called after him. “If you go anywhere else the master of the lands will kill you. You don’t have your wife to protect you anymore.”

“I would like to see him try,” Sebastian muttered as he began to climb through the wind and snow. 

It was a long trek and his muscles burned when he finally reached the palace the fates resided in. He threw the doors open and stormed into the main hall. The three hooded sisters sat on their thrones with their crowns of thorns.

Sebastian strode forward, his cloak swirling around him. He knew the protocol and was supposed to wait for them to acknowledge him but he was in a hurry.

“Well?” His voice boomed through the room and the fates tilted their heads.

“How may we serve you?”

“I have questions.” Sebastian crossed his arms.

“We’re aware. That’s all anyone ever seeks from us.”

“Well, will you answer them?” Sebastian asked.

“It depends.” One of them hissed and drummed her talon against her throne. “Why don’t you drop your act?”

“What are you talking about?”

“We aren’t fools. We’re old and we spin the tides of change and fate. We see and know what you are and you aren’t the Archangel of the Sky. Tell us where is Sebastian?”

A low laugh escaped from Sebastian and he shook his head. “If you’re all knowing then why do you ask?”

“Because you have shielded your mind from us and only a few creatures have the power to do that. The victories can, the judges, and..”

“The gods.” Sebastian interrupted. He smirked at them and unfolded his arms. “Oh, but they’re all dead, right?”

“Don’t play games with us. If you want answers then you will reveal yourself.”

Sebastian flashed his fangs before closing his eyes. Darkness filled the room and when it dissipated Sebastian was on the floor unconscious and a man was standing over him.

His blue eyes glowed as he smirked at the fates and pushed himself up. His silver curls were wild and he pushed them off of his face. His expression was cruel as he adjusted the cuffs of his suit.

“Ladies, it has been a few centuries.” The man spoke. His gray wings spread behind him and he rolled his shoulders.

“The original God of the Sky, Adastros. You’re supposed to be dead.” The fates spoke as one.

“I almost was,” Adastros answered. He looked down at the angel unconscious at his feet and nudged Sebastian with his foot. “I faced Sebastian here on the final battlefield in the war. I saw the other gods fall to the archangel’s blades and knew I was next. I could see which way the war was headed, I knew the gods would lose. So,” Adastros clapped his hands together. “When I went sword to sword with Sebastian, I possessed him. There was no way I was going to die. I would lay low and wear his body for a few centuries until I could figure out a way to get my revenge.”

Adastros began to pace as he talked. “I distanced myself from his brothers by hurting the younger one. The God of the Dead can sense possession and I didn’t need Nikolaus sniffing around. So causing irreparable damage between Sebastian, Nikolaus and Elias was step one. Now the only time I interact with the God of the dead is in meetings. I could continue to live inside Sebastian and no one would know.”

Adastros grabbed Sebastian’s chin firmly. “He was one of my favorite angels and he served me a long time before the angels rebelled. I knew how to speak like him, act like him, move like him. I adopted his personality and nature. Sure, I might have taken his cruelty and apathy to new levels but I fooled everyone even the wife. Now, I have a seraphim and demon uprising on the horizon that will aid me in the takeover of heaven. I’ll slip in under all their noses and take back the cosmos for myself. It’s pretty brilliant. They do all the dirty work and I reap the benefits.”

“Is he still alive?” One of the fates motioned to Sebastian.

“He’s in there somewhere, buried deep deep down under mental shields I’ve put in place. He clawed at them for hundreds of years as he tried to free himself from his mental cage. He’s been quiet lately so I think he gave up.” Adastros stood to his feet.

“And I know you won’t tell anyone this because you know that I have the power to wipe you from this realm if I feel like it.” Adastros smiled. “So, Ladies. Tell me, will this plan of mine succeed?”

The fates were quiet as they thought. “There are too many variables.” They spoke at once. “You could win easily but you could also fail. If you fail, he will be the one to paint the earth red with your blood.” The fates motioned to Sebastian.

“You could win Adastros but be very very careful how you proceed from here on out. There are players in this game that even you aren’t aware of.” The fates smiled and waved their hands. “Now go. Leave our place of dwelling or we will alert the god of the underworld to your presence.”

Darkness engulfed Adastros and Sebastian and then Sebastian was rising to his feet. He brushed his suit off and smiled at the fates one last time. “It was a pleasure. I’ll see you again soon.”


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit sex in this chapter. It starts after Klaus comes back from judging souls and goes to the end of that section. Also, we take a trip to damnation so there will be mentions of torture. I won’t get too graphic with the torture, though.

Klaus came into consciousness slowly and was faintly aware of someone standing next to him. He figured it was Liz and waited for her to crawl into bed with him. A few minutes passed and when the presence next to his bed didn’t move a chill crept up his spine. His claws slid from the tips of his fingers slowly so he wouldn’t alert the person next to him of his movements. He readied his body to spring and took a deep breath. He finally cracked an eye open to see who on earth was standing over him. He almost jumped ten feet in the air when he came face to face with Lilith. He swore loudly and bared his fangs at her.

“What on earth are you doing?” Klaus growled as he sat up. The feeling in his wings was back and a wave of relief washed over him. He didn’t like the numbing sensation that had infected them the last few hours. It made him feel hollow. He stretched them to their full length and sighed contentedly.

“I was trying to figure out the best way to wake you up so I wouldn’t get a reaction like this one, yet here we are.” Lilith smiled and flicked her braided hair over her shoulder. She was flipping her gold dagger absentmindedly in her right hand and Klaus raised an eyebrow.

“Have you come to stab me? That would’ve gone better if I was still asleep.” He ran his hand through his hair and Lilith’s grin widened.

“Nah boss, if I wanted you dead I would have done it centuries ago. I’ve got a small issue in damnation I need your assistance with. I was trying to wake you gently. I’m just glad you aren’t with your little human friend. That is not something I wanted to walk in on.” Lilith grimaced.

“You know you could knock on my door like a normal person.” Klaus snapped at her and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He stood and stretched before snapping his fingers. His armor and swords appeared on his body and he ruffled his feathers. “What is the problem in damnation?”

“Your second is annoying me.” Lilith crossed her arms.

“What? Elaine?” Klaus tilted his head. “What is she doing?”

“I’ve known Elaine a long time, I fought with her in the war. Sometimes I call her down to damnation to torture souls for me so I can take a break. I can’t be down there constantly or my immortality would be extremely bleak. I mean, it’s just screaming and fire-”

“Your point, Lilith?” Klaus asked impatiently.

“Right, well I called her down to help me out and now I can’t get rid of her. She’s taking all my new souls. I enjoy torture and she’s stealing my fun.” Lilith stomped her foot.

“You do realize you sound like a petulant child? You’re tattling on Elaine for playing with your favorite toys.” Klaus scoffed.

“I am!” Lilith threw her arms in the air. “Listen, yes, I’m in a sour mood because she’s stealing my fun but like I said I’ve known her a long time. Something is wrong with her and she is enjoying torture a _little_ too much today. Could you just go talk to her please?”

“Fine, now get out of my room before I chuck you off of the balcony.” 

Lilith looked Klaus up and down slowly and bared her fangs. She crossed her arms while wearing an infuriating smirk. “I would like to see you try, Nikolaus.” 

Klaus rolled his eyes and nudged her towards the door. “Out, you irritating demon.”

“That should be my title. Lilith: General, Tormentor, Irritating Demon. It has a ring to it.” Lilith laughed. 

Klaus shut the door in her face before she could speak anymore and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache forming at the back of his head. Talking to Lilith always did that to him. He growled in annoyance and vanished in a puff of smoke.

The screams of the damned filled his ears as he appeared in front of the entrance to the pit. He pulled a dagger from his gauntlet and slit his palm. The metal was warm against his skin as he pressed his palm to the gate. A pulse rocked the realm and the doors flung open with a piercing screech. He walked through the barrier and the gates closed securely behind him. 

He dropped the hold on his magic and his horns, talons, and fangs appeared. He folded his wings tightly behind him and started towards the level he could feel Elaine at.

The fires roared on either side of the stone path he was walking. The souls grabbed at his ankles and he hurled a fireball at them. “Get off.” He roared and they scattered like mice. Klaus rolled his shoulders as he tried to ignore his uneasiness. He hated this realm. He spread his wings and shot into the air. The heat was stifling as he flew and he was thankful when the platform he was headed towards appeared in his vision.

He slammed into the rock and the fires shook as he stood to his full height. Coming to damnation was always like taking off a layer of armor. Here he could be as cruel and sadistic as he pleased. These souls deserved everything he and his demons threw at them. 

 He spied Elaine on the other side of the platform and made his way to her. She had a group of souls lined up against the wall and a table of knives in front of her. The group was already begging for mercy and Klaus wondered how long she had been down here tormenting them.

“What are you doing here?” She asked Klaus without looking back at him. She threw a knife and a soul shrieked in pain as the blade embedded in its shoulder.

“Lilith asked me to come check on you. You’re stealing her fun.” Klaus crossed his arms as he watched her. 

“I needed to work through some anger. There are millions of souls here she could have a go at, she won’t miss these ten.” Elaine replied. Her voice was flat and Klaus tilted his head.

“Care to talk about it?”

“Not. Particularly.” She punctuated each word with a throw of her knife and Klaus winced as they struck the souls across from him with deadly accuracy.

“Elaine.” 

She whipped around to face him and glared at him. “What? I have nothing to say. I don’t want to talk.” Klaus gave her an impatient look and she sighed. “I left Sebastian last night.”

“What like you’re taking some time apart?” Klaus asked.

“No, I broke my vow.” Elaine ground the words out. The silence stretched between them and Klaus rubbed his temples. He glanced up at her and sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to act like you care, Nikolaus.” Elaine turned away from him and picked up another knife. “I’m sure you’re giddy about it.”

“Am I happy that you left the bastard? Yes. Am I happy you’re hurting? No.” Klaus crossed his arms and watched her. “I’m truly sorry Elaine. I’ve heard breaking a vow is hard. Are you in pain?”

“It feels like a piece of my soul has been ripped from my body but I’ll be fine.” Elaine closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. “It’s not the first time an angel has broken a vow and it won’t be the last. They all survived just fine. I’ll be okay.” 

“You know that Elias and I considered you our family because we like you. The fact that you were married to Sebastian didn’t matter. You’re still our family even if you aren’t related to us by marriage.” Klaus said.

He took the knife from her hand and Elaine sighed. She placed her forehead against the chest plate of his armor for a second before she stood to her full height. “I know.”

“Now please let Lilith do her job.” Klaus glared at her.

“Did she come annoy you?”

“Yes.” Klaus exhaled the word through clenched teeth and Elaine smiled. 

“Come on. Escort me out of here, let’s judge a few souls, and then you need to spend the rest of the evening with Liz. Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl and Sebastian and I have had problems for a long time. This was kind of inevitable.”

“That probably doesn’t make it any easier.” Klaus pointed out and Elaine spread her wings. She gently lifted off the ground and waited for him to join her. Klaus pushed off the ground and together they headed to the gate. 

After a moment Elaine whispered, “It doesn’t.” 

* * *

Liz walked into Klaus’ bedroom and sighed at the sight of the empty bed. “Where is he? He’s supposed to be taking it easy,” she grumbled. There was one way she could find out. 

“Klaus, come here,” Liz spoke into the silence and waited. Her cuff began to warm up and Liz knew he had heard her. After a minute Klaus appeared in front of her. She expected him to be annoyed at being ordered but he smiled at her. He was in a black suit with his golden staff in his hand. His crown of gold thistles sat on top of his blonde hair and he tilted his head at her. He took his crown off and ruffled his hair before he made the staff and crown vanish.

“Were you judging souls? I didn’t mean to take you away from it. You can go back. I was just worried about you.” Liz said. 

“No, it’s fine. I had just finished the last of the dead a few minutes ago. I was talking to Elaine.” Klaus sighed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand down his face.

“How is she doing? I take it you know about Sebastian?” 

“She’s fine.” Klaus breathed. “Well, she’s not but she will be. Let’s not discuss that right now. She told me to spend the evening with you and that’s what I plan to do. Enough talking.”

“Maybe we can pick up where we left off earlier.” Liz raised an eyebrow. “Let’s leave the demon ambush out of it this time, though.”

Liz laughed and Klaus shook his head. He peered at her like he couldn’t believe she existed. “I’m glad you can joke about it.”

“If I’m going to be with you then I need to get used to the possibility of things like that happening.” Liz shrugged. She smiled down at him and Klaus watched her in wonder. Suddenly a look of realization crossed Liz’s features and her eyes snapped to his. 

“Birth control.”

“What?” He tilted his head.

“Birth control, what is effective for your species?” Liz wondered.

“Well, there is no chance of you getting pregnant by me if you are human. We aren’t really compatible for reproduction. There has only been one instance of a human getting pregnant by an angel. It’s like a one in a million chance. If you would feel better using a form of birth control, though, there is a potion you can drink afterward. It’ll prevent any possibility of pregnancy.” 

“Alright. We’ll get that potion later, just to be safe.” She smiled gently. “Now that that is taken care of, kiss me.”

Liz stepped up to him and came to stand between his legs. She leaned down and kissed him softly once, twice, her lips just barely touching his. She smiled at the teasing gesture and Klaus growled softly at her. His hands drifted up the back of her thighs and Liz shivered at the feather light touch. She hummed contently and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed herself against him. Liz deepened the kiss and leaned over him, her hands gripped his shoulders for support.

Klaus grabbed her hips and stood up. He took her face between his hands and brushed his lips across hers. It was a whisper of a touch and Liz fisted her hands in the front of his jacket and attempted to pull him closer. Klaus tilted her head back and his hands slid to her hair as their kissing became more frantic. He pulled on her hair and Liz whimpered at the sensation. It wasn’t unpleasant but she hadn’t been expecting it. Their bodies slid together and Liz shivered at the feel of him against her. They finally pulled away to take a breath and Klaus rested his forehead against hers.

His eyes searched hers for a moment and he descended on her again. His hands drifted under her shirt and Liz arched towards him as he ran his fingers up and down her sides. He kissed her impatiently and Liz’s lips parted for him. Their tounges tangled together and Liz moaned as their kisses became heated.

Klaus squeezed one of her breasts and tested the weight of it in his hand. His thumb grazed her nipple gently. It peaked against the lace of her bra and Liz gasped into his mouth. He gripped her chin with his free hand and tilted her head so he could trail nibbles, caresses, and kisses across her jaw. 

He took her earlobe between his teeth and sucked on it gently. Liz was very aware of how loud her breathing was in the silent room and she was sure Klaus knew every breath and pulse of her body. She was wound tight and after the events of the day she just wanted to enjoy being with him.

“The bed,” were the only words she managed to get out but she figured she got her point across. He spun her around towards the bed and the back of her knees hit the mattress.

Klaus smirked and laid her across the soft bedding. The way he handled her now was so gentle compared to the way he had just been kissing her. He knelt on the bed, settled between her legs, and slowly ran his fingers up the inside of her calves. 

He pressed a kiss to the inside of her knee and Liz gasped at the tenderness of the kiss. Calloused fingertips dug into the indents above her hipbones as her skirt slipped down low on her hips. He gripped her there roughly and pulled her down the bed towards him so he could grind his hips against hers.

Liz threw her head back at the friction and her fist clenched and unclenched at the sheets beneath her. A low growl rumbled in Klaus’ chest and he leaned over her so he could press open-mouthed kisses to her exposed abdomen. His breath was hot against her skin and Liz shivered at the contrast of it and the chill of his hands. Klaus’ hand ghosted at the hem of her shirt and he dragged it slowly upward, a heated trail of kisses following the path of his hand.

He sucked on the side of her ribcage and Liz buried her hand in his hair. Klaus grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her up into a sitting position. His fingernails grazed her side as he removed her shirt, the material slid slowly over her breasts and arms and made her gasp. A shudder ripped through her as he ran his nose up the column of her throat. She felt his fangs next and the points of his teeth scratched lightly at her flushed skin. One of his hands found its way to the clasp of her bra and he undid it with ease. He tossed the garment to the side and palmed both of her breasts.

Liz arched into his hands and she moaned loudly. Klaus’ thumbs brushed softly over the peaks of her breasts and Liz grabbed his shoulders for support. He rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefingers and Liz exhaled softly at the delicious tug. Heat pooled low in her stomach and her breathing hitched.

“Lie back.” Klaus patted her side gently and Liz did as she was told. He unzipped her skirt and raised an eyebrow at her. Liz smiled at him and lifted her hips so he could remove it. She pushed down the material and helped him tug the skirt down her hips and off her legs, taking her panties with it. Klaus untied the laces of her boots and tugged her shoes off slowly. 

Liz wiggled impatiently in front of him and tried to ignore the fact that she was sprawled out stark naked in front of him. He dropped the shoes to the floor one by one, his eyes never leaving hers.

Klaus sat back on his knees and surveyed her form from head to toe. Liz felt a blush begin to burn her cheeks and she sighed in frustration. Why did she have to blush now? She could sense the heat spread through her body bit by bit as it moved from her face, down her neck, and across her shoulders. She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to relax.

Klaus’ hands on her hips brought her back and her eyes snapped open at the touch. She watched him as he lowered himself to the bed, his eyes never leaving hers. He laid down on his stomach and pulled her down towards him before winding his arms around her thighs securely. The tips of his fingers brushed her inner thigh and her hips rolled. Then ever so slowly he leaned forward to press a kiss to her center.

Liz gasped and spread her legs wider for him. His breath against her skin was warm and a shiver of pleasure ran up her spine. Klaus ran the flat of his tongue through her folds and Liz arched off the bed. A breathy sigh broke free from her lips as she rested her legs over his shoulders. Klaus gripped her hips as he nuzzled her gently and Liz breathed his name. One of his hands skimmed her side and he palmed one of her breasts at the same time he circled her clit with his tongue.

A low moan echoed in the silence and Liz’s hands gripped at the bed. Her eyes found Klaus’ and she blushed again when she realized he was watching her. He hummed in appreciation against her as his tongue delved into her center. Liz’s fingers found their way to the back of his head and she ran her fingers through his hair. 

The swirl of his tongue was slow and torturous and Liz’s hips bucked as she sought the friction she needed. Klaus’ tongue moved lightly across her flesh and Liz whimpered. He was enjoying drawing out her reactions but she wanted more.

“Enough teasing, please.” She breathed.

Klaus cocked an eyebrow and for a moment Liz thought he was going to slow his pace out of spite. She gripped his hair in reprimand and she could’ve sworn she saw him smirk. Klaus closed his eyes at the tug of her fingers and he growled against her. 

He increased his pace and his free hand splayed across her lower abdomen to keep her still. His movements were relentless against her, short quick strokes and then long drawn out ones. Every movement made Liz writhe beneath him as her hips kept time with his tongue.

She could feel her body begin to coil tightly and Klaus lifted up slightly so he could slip a finger between her aching folds. Liz cried out as she thrust against his palm and Klaus sucked on her clit gently. 

Liz’s gasps filled the room as her body wound tighter and tighter. Her thighs quivered and she couldn’t stand the sensations anymore. She threw her head back and cried out in bliss as her orgasm washed over her. The heels of her feet dug into his shoulders as her body arched towards him. She clenched around Klaus’ finger as he lapped up the wetness between her legs with slow lazy strokes.

Liz relaxed bonelessly against the bed and pushed her hair off of her face. Klaus crawled up her body and trailed open-mouthed kisses across her skin. Liz sighed as he nuzzled her neck and she rubbed lazy circles lightly across his shoulder. 

“You are wearing too much clothing.” Liz murmured before she pressed a kiss to the side of his head. Klaus chuckled and pushed off of her. He stood next to the bed and Liz watched as he made quick work of the buttons of his shirt. 

She sat up and let her hands roam over his clothed thighs. They traveled up to his hips and she gripped him there for a minute. She could see his erection through his trousers and she swallowed as she traced her fingers across it. Klaus growled at the contact and bucked into her hand. Her fingers shook as she reached for his belt and slowly slid the leather through the buckle and the loops. She popped the button at his waist while Klaus peeled the shirt from his shoulders.

The sound of the zipper was loud in the silence and Liz worked his pants down his slim hips, freeing him. Liz admired his body while Klaus finished removing the rest of his clothing. The shift and pull of his muscles made her squirm as she watched him move.

He dropped any magic he used to cloak himself and his wings spread behind him as he climbed over her. Shadows swirled around them and Liz admired his black eyes and horns. She admitted she found him so beautiful like this. 

Liz reached up to stroke the feathers of his wings and Klaus rested his forehead against hers. She arched against his powerful body in desperation and spread her legs for him.

“Are you sure?” Klaus whispered in the silence and Liz nodded. She kissed him softly and smiled at him.

“Yes.” 

Klaus reached down between them and ran a finger through her wet folds. Liz whimpered at the touch and her hips jumped forward. Klaus smirked at her as he slid a finger into her, testing her. Liz thrust eagerly against his hand and Klaus sighed at the feel of her. He added a second finger and Liz moaned as her hands slid around his neck.

Her fingers trailed the top of his wings and Klaus shivered at the touch. He removed his fingers from her and took his erection in hand. He stroked himself once, twice, and Liz watched him with heavy lidded eyes. Her fingers stroked his soft feathers out of comfort and she sighed at the feel of them. Klaus moved forward and placed himself at her entrance.

Liz’s breath hitched as he pushed gently into her. Her body immediately tensed and Klaus kissed her reverently. “I’m not going to hurt you, Liz. Relax.” He removed one of her hands from his shoulders and tapped the metal of one of the cuffs at her wrist. The gesture was grounding.

He punctuated each word with a kiss and Liz tightened her grip on his shoulders. He thrust forward slowly and Liz winced at the pinch between her legs. She gasped and buried her face in his shoulder as she closed her eyes. 

It didn’t hurt as much as she expected and she felt her body begin to calm as it adjusted to him. It actually felt quite good and she squirmed underneath him. Her legs wrapped around his waist as Klaus peppered kisses up her neck and jaw. Liz raised her hips slightly and moaned as he slid further into her. She felt full and she dug her heels into his backside in encouragement. 

With a roll of his hips, Klaus thrust completely into her. Liz arched off the bed and threw her head back. Her thighs quivered and a breathy moan escaped her lips. 

“Klaus.” She breathed his name like a prayer and he hummed against the skin of her neck.

His hips pulled back slowly until he was almost out of her and Liz whimpered at the loss of him. He rolled his hips forward again and Liz met his thrust as her hips snapped forward. She tilted her head and captured his lips in a searing kiss as he began to move. 

Liz moaned against his lips and dug her fingers into his back. Their bodies moved together and Liz broke the kiss so she could throw her head back against the mattress. The motion exposed her neck and she felt the scrape of Klaus’ fangs. His pace increased and Liz’s breathing picked up as she felt desire pool low in her stomach.

Klaus’ fangs sunk into her neck and Liz cried out at the slight pain. It hurt for a moment before pleasure washed over her body. He kissed, licked, and nibbled against her flesh as he slammed into her. He snarled against her skin and released her neck so he could watch her. His mouth parted in awe as he took in her reactions.

He gazed down at her and Liz searched the black abyss of his eyes. She keened and every muscle tensed as her body climbed higher and higher. 

“Klaus, I need-” She buried her face against his shoulder again and her voice was muffled.

“I’ve got you, don’t worry.” Klaus breathed in her ear. He ran his fingers through her hair and tugged on the stands gently. 

His other hand drifted between their bodies and he rubbed her clit in time to his thrusts again and again. The coil of her muscles wound tighter and tighter until she was sure she couldn’t take it anymore. A wave of pleasure crashed over her and she dug her feet into his backside as her legs stiffened. 

A low growl rippled through Klaus as he looked down at her lovingly. He released her hair and trailed a hand up her neck and under her chin. He angled her head up so he could kiss her and when their lips touched she came apart around him.

Klaus sighed against her lips as he kissed her sloppily. Their tongues tangled together and Liz clung to him as his hips snapped against hers. His hand splayed low across her back and he pressed her to him as he found his own finish. The underworld shook around them and Liz watched as the muscles in his shoulders and neck tensed. 

His breathing was harsh as he finished and Liz held him as their heartbeats slowed. He slipped out of her and cupped her face as he kissed her frantically. Liz gripped his forearms and smiled when they released each other.

“Are you in any pain?”

“Just a little sore,” Liz assured him and Klaus sighed.

“Do you think you can go another round?” He was still hard in front of her and Liz reached down to stroke him. Klaus closed his eyes at the touch for a moment and he bared his fangs at her. Liz nodded and giggled and Klaus rolled them so she could straddle him. 

Klaus growled as he raised himself up to kiss her roughly and let her set the pace this time.

* * *

Elias ran his fingers over the dusty spines of the books on the shelf in front of him. His eyes ached from looking at the small text for so long but he didn’t want to give up yet. A sigh of frustration escaped him and he rubbed his eyes. He had been in the vaults for hours looking through the old archives. Klaus didn’t have a lot of time to research ways to give Elias his wings back. If Elias did the leg work then maybe he could get his wings faster. The underworld vaults were ancient and since he couldn’t go search the archives in the heavens then this seemed like the best place to start. 

Cerberus was asleep at Elias’ feet and he stared down at the wolf. “It would be so helpful if you could read. I could cover ground faster if I had help.” Elias grumbled. Cerberus’ ear twitched and the animal raised his head to blink sleepily up at Elias. Even lying down his head came to Elias’ waist. Elias patted the dogs head affectionately. “Go back to sleep.”

Cerberus tilted his head and nudged Elias’ arm. The bronze cuff that was the twin’s to Luca’s sat on his wrist. Elias blinked down at it and glared at Cerberus. “I am not asking him for help.” 

Cerberus gave him an unimpressed look and Elias growled in frustration. He would rather light himself on fire than ask Luca for anything but he was desperate. “Alright, Alright.” He materialized a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down a quick note. Elias tucked it into Cerberus’ collar and rubbed his ears. “Take that to Luca, please.” 

The dog disappeared and Elias sighed and waited for Luca to appear. Elias waved his hand and a pot of steaming tea and two cups appeared on the bench behind him. He poured himself a cup and inhaled the calming aroma as he surveyed the shelf in front of him. 

A noise behind him startled him but he quickly recognized Cerberus and Luca’s scent.

“You rang?” Luca drawled as he came to stand next to Elias. 

“I need another set of eyes and wondered if you would help me?” 

“Help you how?” Luca tilted his head.

“I’m looking for a spell. I don’t know where to find it so I’m looking for books that talk about wings, transformation, or biological changes.” Elias summoned a piece of paper and wrote down a few words in the language of demons and angels. “These are what the words would look like if they are located in this room.”

Elias waved his arm at the massive space and Luca let out a low whistle. “This is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“It is but I’m desperate so I’m asking for your help. There’s also two upper floors.” Elias pointed upwards and Luca sighed as he surveyed the balconies above them.

“Alright, fine. I’m bored so I might as well help you. I’ll take the other side.” Luca turned his back to Elias and he placed the piece of paper with the keywords on it on the shelf in front of him. He glanced at the words for reference and began to comb through the titles. “So, what spell are looking for _exactly._ ”

“A spell that can give me wings,” Elias answered simply.

“Since you lost yours?” Luca guessed.

“I didn’t lose mine, they were taken,” Elias said.

“How?” 

Elias was quiet for several minutes and Luca turned around to face him. Elias was staring at the shelf and Luca wondered what he was thinking about. “My oldest brother cut them off.”

Luca closed his eyes and the sight of Elias scarred back slammed into his mind. “The scars on your shoulders. Oh my god.” 

“It doesn’t matter how it happened. I miss them, and I miss flying. Klaus can give me wings again but he needs a reference or a spell. He doesn’t trust his own power enough not to hurt me. I appreciate the rare concern but I’m getting a little desperate. I’ve been okay without them but now that there’s a possibility of getting them again, I want it.” Elias breathed. 

“So, yes this is like looking for a needle in a haystack if the book is even here, but I will search for it even if it takes me a thousand years.”

Luca sighed and turned back to the shelf in front of him. “Well, let’s hope we find it before then because if it takes a thousand years then I won’t be much help to you.”

Elias rolled his eyes and scoffed. “There is tea on the bench behind you if you want some.” Luca nodded and the two men went back to looking at the shelves in front of them.

* * *

Liz sighed and relaxed into Klaus’ embrace. He was stroking his fingers up and down her arm lazily and she pressed a kiss to one of the scars on his chest. He let out a happy sigh at the gesture and Liz smiled.

Her body ached but in a good way, and she was pretty sure she could sleep for a few days if given the chance. She kissed the tip of Klaus’ nose and he cracked an eye open to look at her. Liz sat up and he gave her his full attention as he blinked sleepily up at her.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to look at your back and see how you’re healing. I didn’t think about it but I was touching your shoulder where you got shot earlier.” Liz grimaced.

Klaus rolled his eyes and sat up slowly. “If you hurt me I would’ve told you. Yet again you probably could’ve stabbed me in the middle of that and I wouldn’t have realized it immediately.”

Liz scoffed and shook her head. “Surely it wasn’t that good.” She blushed and Klaus gripped her chin. She blinked up at him and he kissed her roughly. Liz’s hands slid around his waist and she pulled him against her. Klaus broke away and surveyed her gaze.

“It was…well, there really isn’t a word to describe what that was but I can tell you what we just did was amazing. I promise.” Klaus rested his forehead against hers and Liz nodded.

“Okay, I just never want you to get bored of me,” Liz whispered and Klaus smirked.

“I could never get tired of you. You never do what I expect and you’re always surprising me.”

“And that’s a good thing?” Liz raised her eyebrows.

“It takes a lot for someone to surprise me. I like what life with you is like. You’re one of the refreshing things I can enjoy in this dead realm. Have more faith in me and our relationship, I won’t leave you behind.” Klaus replied. He kissed her again and after a minute he rolled onto his back so Liz could inspect him.

She straddled his bare waist and looked his back over. It looked much better than it had, in fact, it was almost completely healed. Her hands roamed his skin and Klaus sighed.

“Come on,” Liz patted his side and slid off of him. “You need a preening and we need to bathe. After that, I plan to sleep for at least twelve hours.”

Klaus laughed and before Liz could step out of bed, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom.


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few mentions of blood and violence in this chapter. Things get bad for a few characters but they’ll be fine, I promise. Most violence is near the end of the chapter.
> 
> Also, a few details are kind of left up in the air (like Elaine’s powers and a few other things). I did this on purpose and things will be clarified/explained in the next chapter. :)

Something tugged at Sebastian’s consciousness, something frantic and _wrong_. It felt like a part of him had been ripped away and the drastic change was enough to pull him from his induced sleep.

He had long given up on trying to break out of his mental prison. Adastros had done an impeccable job at the cage he had crammed his consciousness into. Sebastian had clawed at the walls of his own mind for what felt like an eternity as he struggled to break free. He didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally had just given up and allowed the possession to settle in. Every once in a while Adastros would give him glances of things and they were always terrible.

The God was always watching him, always reinforcing the walls of obsidian and ice around Sebastian’s mind. Adastros was scared of him and his power, as he should be. If Adastros let his guard down for a second it was enough to give Sebastian the time he needed to break down the walls. 

But something was so very wrong and it was enough to put the fight back into Sebastian’s weary mind. 

And then he realized something, Adastros wasn’t paying attention to him. The god that had kept watch over his consciousness the last few thousand years wasn’t watching. Sebastian didn’t know if Adastros’ lack of attention was because he had been quiet for so long, or if Adastros just didn’t think he was strong enough. Sebastian didn’t care.

He felt his power began to build and he decided that he would put up a fight one last time. He would break out of this prison or he would destroy his own mind and take Adastros down with him. He was tired of being trapped here and he had to act fast before Adastros turned his attention back to Sebastian.

A cruel laugh escaped him as his consciousness caressed the rigid wall of his mental prison. His power flared and light engulfed his mind and soul. He felt elated as he watched the walls crack. 

He would be free soon and then nothing would stop him from wreaking havoc on the god who had caged him. He would roll over the heavens and the earth like a storm and no one would stop him from taking his life back.

* * *

Klaus sighed as he stared at the paperwork spread out on his desk in front of him. He had woken up in the middle of the night to find himself, Liz, and his bed completely covered in feathers and down. He was stress-molting and it was making him irritable. After the trauma his body had been through the previous day, he wasn’t surprised. The shock of the poison to his system had been great. That still didn’t ease his frustration. 

He had made all the feathers disappear from the room and carefully hidden his wings away. They would stay hidden for the next few days except for when he needed a preening. 

At the rate he was shedding feathers his molting would be done in a day or two but because it was happening so fast he would be grounded until it was over. He hated not having the option to fly.

So, he had left Liz asleep and gone to sulk in his office. He needed to finish the paperwork for the day anyway so at least this gave him an excuse to work on it. He would finish up here and then go back to bed with Liz. He didn’t want her to wake up alone especially after the step they had taken in their relationship last night. 

The sounds of the fire and the scratching of his pen filled the room as he worked. The twinge of magic filled his nostrils suddenly and he became aware of someone teleporting onto his balcony. A familiar scent drifted into the room and he bristled when he recognized it. 

He opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a velvet box the size of a small book. He held it up over his shoulder as the sound of footsteps approaching him caught his ears. 

A slim hand with perfectly manicured black talons grasped the box and took it from his hand. Klaus watched as Daphne rounded his desk to sit down across from him. 

“Payment.” Klaus leaned back in his chair and surveyed her. 

Daphne opened the box and inspected the two black diamond bracelets inside before snapping the lid shut. “You remembered my taste in jewelry. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Klaus replied. 

“How’s Liz? Phaedon mentioned she was hurt yesterday as well.” Daphne tilted her head and her cold gray eyes assessed him. 

“She’s okay, she’ll have scars and some nightmares I’m sure, but nothing too damaging.” Klaus winced. He hated that Liz had gotten hurt.

“She seems especially strong for a human,” Daphne said.

Klaus smiled. “She is.” 

Daphne snorted and shook her head. “I never thought I would see you in love. It’s sickening.”

Klaus rolled his eyes at her and Daphne smirked. She stood to her feet and picked a piece of non-existent lint from her jacket. “Treat her well she deserves to be happy and so do you.”

“I know I never said it but I’m sorry for how things ended between us.” Klaus watched her as she headed for the door. 

“So am I. We really didn’t mesh well. We’re too much alike I think.” Daphne winked at him. She was almost out the door before she turned back to face him. She approached him again and snapped her fingers. A large leatherbound book appeared in her hand and she held it out to him. It had water damage and smelled faintly of mold. The leather was spotted and worn and the binding broken.

“There is a rumor going around that you want to give Elias wings. I found this tome buried deep within the heavenly archives years ago. It was in some rundown disused portion of the building. I always look in that spot for new potion recipes. A lot of the books there are ancient and the information is always useful. This book is in our language but the dialect and wording are different, most likely it was the version of the language used before the war. You’ll have to find one of the older angels to translate it but I know it mentions wings. It might point you in the right direction.” Daphne looked at him fiercely. 

“Give that boy his wings back and let him walk into the heavens and stare down your shit excuse of a family. Let him show them that they couldn’t break him. Elias should have any small victory he can get.” Daphne stood to her full height and turned on her heel. “Goodbye, Nikolaus.” 

Klaus watched her walk out of the room for a minute then looked at the book in front of him curiously. He opened it and the spine of the book cracked loudly in protest. The ink on the pages was faded but even with the dimly printed words, he realized he couldn’t read it. 

“Elaine are you awake?” Klaus snapped. He continued to flip through the pages slowly as he waited to see if Elaine would appear. After a minute she materialized beside him and yawned loudly. Klaus raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “If you were asleep you could’ve ignored me.”

“Oh, I wasn’t” Elaine grumbled. “Assume from now on I’m always awake at night. And you sounded pissy so I thought I might as well see what you needed.”

“I’m stress-molting, I’m going to be in a mood for a few days,” Klaus replied evenly.

Elaine snorted. “Don’t talk to me about being in a mood. If you want to interact with me you’re going to be civil for both our sakes. Sorry you’re molting that’s one of the most irritating things.”

“It is. Having trouble sleeping?” Klaus continued to look through the book. 

“I’ve shared a bed with someone for over two thousand years. I’m not used to sleeping alone.” Elaine admitted. She waved her hand dismissively and pointed at the book. “What in the world is that?”

“I don’t know I can’t read it and I was hoping you would be able to.” Klaus slid it over to her and Elaine began to look through it slowly. 

“Mmm,” she hummed thoughtfully as she turned the pages. “I can read a little of it but it’s an old dialect. Give me a few hours and I’ll probably be able to give you a rough translation.”

“I need better than a rough translation. Daphne seems to think that there might be a spell in there to give Elias wings. If there is, I need to be certain I’m performing it correctly. I don’t want to hurt him.” Klaus crossed his arms. 

“A rough translation is all I’m going to be able to give you. I’ll do it and then I’ll take it up to the heavens to Phaedon. This version of our language was still in use when he was younger. If he can’t help I’ll go to Ari.” Elaine said.

“Go to Phaedon first, I want to keep this as quiet as possible. Not that I don’t trust Ari I just trust Phaedon more.” 

“Noted.” Elaine hugged the book to her chest. She took a deep breath and was about to disappear when Klaus spoke again.

“Let Cerberus sleep in your room. I know he’s not the same as a person but at least you’ll have something with you while you sleep. It might help you and since Liz and I are sharing a bed he’s been sleeping with the other hellhounds. He’s spoiled and he’s tired of sleeping with his kin. He gripes about it every time he sees me.” Klaus smirked.

“I’ll try it.” Elaine sighed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks.”

She disappeared in a puff of a smoke and Klaus waved a hand over the papers in front of him. They organized themselves into a neat pile and disappeared to go to the places they needed to be delivered. He stood and stretched his arms above his head. Klaus decided he needed to tell Elias about the book Daphne had found and went to search for his brother.

He found Elias and Luca sitting on a bench in the middle of the vaults. The bench was in the center of the room and Luca and Elias were sitting back to back. It looked like they had been surveying the shelves opposite of them and had fallen asleep. Luca’s head was thrown back against Elias’ shoulder and Elias had his temple resting on top of Luca’s head. The two of them were breathing peacefully and even snoring quietly.

Klaus rolled his eyes and nudged Elias’ foot with his own. Elias’ eyes snapped open and he glared at Klaus.

“What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me, you’re the one asleep in the middle of my vaults.” Klaus gestured to the room around him. Elias seemed to realize where he was and he looked down in confusion at the sight of Luca asleep on his shoulder. Elias stood up quickly and Luca went tumbling backward onto the floor. 

“Ouch,” Luca grumbled as he blinked sleepily up at Klaus and Elias. “What happened?”

“We fell asleep apparently.” Elias rubbed the back of his neck and stretched.

“Well put your search on hold for a day or two. Daphne just brought me a book that has a few old spells that mention wings. I’m not sure if it’ll help us but it looks promising.” Klaus shrugged. “It’s three in the morning why don’t you actually go sleep in a bed?”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Luca yawned loudly and left Elias and Klaus alone. He gave them a small wave over his shoulder as he walked out of the vaults and headed towards his room. 

“Tell me about the book.” Elias crossed his arms.

“It’s in an older dialect of the heavens language but I did recognize a few words and wings are mentioned quite a bit. Elaine is going to do a rough translation to see if it’s worth investigating. If it is, she’ll take it to Phaedon to see if he can read it.” Klaus replied. Elias sighed and Klaus tilted his head. “We’ll figure something out.”

“I hope so. I miss my wings.” Elias closed his eyes. “I wish I would’ve asked for them a long time ago. Maybe I would have them by now.” 

Klaus took a few steps towards the door and glanced back at him. “There is no point in thinking like that. You’ll just make yourself miserable. Go get some sleep and I’ll let you know when Elaine is done with the book.”

“Vincent wouldn’t let me see you after you got injured yesterday. You seem fine.” Elias’ voice made Klaus pause again.

“I’m not hurt. You don’t need to worry about me.” Klaus whirled around to face Elias and tilted his head. A slow smile spread across his face and Elias narrowed his eyes at his brother.

“What?”

“You and Luca looked pretty comfortable on that bench,” Klaus smirked and Elias blushed.  

“Don’t tease me about where I fell asleep especially since I’m pretty sure you weren’t alone last night. I’m sure Vincent and Randy would enjoy teasing you immensely about your sex life. I can go tell them, knowing those two they’ll bring it up at the next demon council meeting. You’ll never hear the end of it.”

Klaus shook his head and he and Elias walked out of the vaults together. “Touche. Go get some sleep and I’ll notify you when I know more about the book.”

Elias made his way to his room slowly and tried to stop the hopeful feeling rising up inside him. If this book was what he was looking for then he would have his wings soon. 

He slipped into his bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his bed, and who was in it. Luca was tangled in his covers and was hugging one of Elias’ pillows to his chest. Elias stomped up to the bed and smacked Luca with a pillow. 

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” Elias hissed.

“Well, I was sleeping.” Luca gave him a pointed look and closed his eyes again.

“Luca, you’re in my bed. Get out!” Elias growled and Luca cracked an eye open.

“Did you just growl at me? I kind of liked it.” Luca smirked and Elias glared at him.

“I’m not in the mood to play mind games with you, Luca,” Elias said. “It’s like three in the morning and I want to go to sleep.”

“But my room is so big and so cold.” Luca sighed. “Yours is cozy and warm. Plus, Klaus told me that demons sort of look after their prey and he also told me if I give you orders you have to follow them. So, let me sleep in your bed.”

A slow smile spread across Luca’s face and Elias clenched his jaw. He counted back from ten in his head and mentally cursed Klaus until the end of time. He turned on his heel and stormed into his closet to change. When he stalked back out he grabbed a pillow and blanket off the bed and threw them down on the couch in front of the fire.

“What are you doing?” Luca asked.

“You ordered me to let you sleep in my bed so I’m letting you. Doesn’t mean I have to join you.” Elias snapped. He plopped down on the couch and tried to get comfortable as he stretched out. 

The silence stretched in the room before Luca spoke again. “How old are you, Elias?”

Elias sighed loudly and closed his eyes. “I’m over one thousand years old.”

Luca let out a low whistle and Elias fought the urge to roll his eyes. Elias could hear Luca moving around as he tried to get comfortable. “So, if I keep your secret until I die do you get my soul because that doesn’t make sense? The whole point of the bargain is for me to keep your secret, right? If I’m dead who am I going to tell?”

“If you manage to keep my secret until you die then your soul gets judged like all the other souls,” Elias answered. 

“What about Liz? What is her bargain?” Luca wondered.

“Klaus saved her life many years ago. The price was her soul. Since he gave her life though he can’t take it from her. That means he does have to wait until her death to get her soul.” Elias said.

“Wait but you said they were getting it on, how do they do that knowing he’s her ultimate end?” 

“Ughh.” Elias groaned. “I don’t really want to discuss my brother’s sex life. How they navigate their relationship is their problem. If they are fine with it then it is none of my concern.”

I got quiet again and after a minute Luca broke the silence again. “Hey Elias, I’m really not trying to bother you. This is a lot to take in and it’s really hard to sleep after the things that have been revealed to me over the last few days.”

“What like demons, angels, and the underworld?” Elias guessed.

“To name a few.” Luca chuckled. Elias grumbled at the anxious tone of Luca’s voice and kicked his blanket off. He stood to his feet and grabbed his pillow before walking to the bed.

“Move over.” Elias blushed slightly as Luca moved over and Elias laid down. It had been a long time since Elias had shared a bed with anyone and it made him a little nervous.

“No more questions tonight Luca. Let’s just go to sleep.” Luca nodded and closed his eyes with a sigh. Elias turned his back on him and soon he was drifting off to sleep as well.

* * *

Later that day Liz and Klaus walked hand and hand through the garden of souls. He needed to answer some prayers and check on a few of the flowers. Liz watched as he knelt and inspected the souls every few feet. He helped the wilting flowers as much as he could and wrote the rest down on his list for Amelia. 

Cerberus was running circles around them and was practically bouncing he was so happy. He kept running up to Klaus and Liz to be petted but every time one of them reached out to stroke him he would bark and take off running in the opposite direction.

After about the third time he did this Liz chased after him. Cerberus’ ears perked up in surprise and he took off in a sprint before suddenly turning on Liz. The large dog tackled her to the ground and Liz laughed as she tried to catch her breath. Cerberus licked her cheek and Liz tried to shove him off of her.

“Okay, okay.” She giggled. “That’s enough.” 

Cerberus let her up and Liz watched as Klaus sauntered up to them. He rolled his eyes at the sight of the two of them covered in grass and leaned down to pick a twig out of Liz’s hair. He walked over to one of the tall fences and inspected Liz’s flower growing there. Liz got to her feet and joined him at the fence.

Her flower was still a menace and was now climbing up all of the gates and fences. Klaus had long given up trying to tame it and just let it do what it wanted. She wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed his side.

“You know, Spyridon told me that sometimes flowers will turn or grow towards one another if the souls are meant to be together. Do you think that’s what mine is doing? Isn’t yours in the heavens? It would make sense, mine is trying to climb upwards so maybe it’s trying to get to yours.”

Klaus tilted his head in thought and smiled. “That’s a very real possibility. I don’t know why I didn’t think about that.” 

He reached out and gently stroked one of the petals on the vine. Klaus pulled Liz against him and nibbled kisses up her jawbone. It was lazy and comfortable and Liz melted into his embrace. She loved the way their hearts beat against their chests and she struggled to press herself closer to him.

Klaus rested his forehead against hers and pulled something from his inner coat pocket. It was a long silver chain and on the end of it was a small glittering crystal. It was a pure white color and was cut like a teardrop. Klaus placed it in the palm of her hand and Liz inspected it.

“That is the crystal from your prayer to me all those years ago,” Klaus said. “I’ve kept it all these years and carried it around with me, even before I met you. I thought maybe you might like it.”

He fastened it around her neck and Liz cradled the crystal in her palm. She reached up to stroke Klaus’ cheek and fought the tears threatening to fall. She would not cry. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Their lips brushed together and Liz tangled her fingers in his hair. When they separated Liz searched his gaze. She lost herself in his eyes as she memorized the violet color of them.

“I love you, Nikolaus.” 

Klaus’ eyes fluttered shut at her words and his hands gripped her waist. “I love you too.”

He kissed her urgently and Liz gasped as her back hit the cliff-face behind her. Klaus cupped her face in his hands and Liz moaned into their kiss. He felt so good against her and she grabbed the lapels of his jacket in order to bring him closer to her.

Someone cleared their throat loudly behind them and Klaus snarled as he pulled away from Liz. 

“What?” He demanded. His temper immediately vanished when he noticed it was Elaine. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Elaine smirked and winked at Liz. “Sorry to interrupt but we had an unexpected influx of souls that you need to judge and I’m through with the rough translation of that book Daphne gave you.”

“And?” Klaus asked. He straightened his jacket and intertwined his fingers with Liz’s.

“It’s promising I can’t read the details of the spells but I can get the gist of them. This is a book of spells for and about angels. If there is a spell to give someone wings then it is probably in here.” Elaine tapped the cover of the book.

“Thank you for taking the time to look at it,” Klaus said. “Do you mind taking it to Phaedon?”

“I don’t mind.” Elaine smiled.

“Why don’t you go with Elaine, Liz? It won’t take her long to deliver it and I should be done judging souls by the time the two of you get back.” Klaus squeezed her hand and Liz nodded.

“I would like to go with you if that’s okay?” Liz asked Elaine.

“Of course, I’ll meet you in front of the castle in ten minutes and we’ll go up to the surface.” Elaine smiled and vanished in a puff of smoke.

“I better go get started on those souls. I’ll take you to your room so you can get your coat.” Klaus kissed Liz’s hand and then teleported them back to his palace.

* * *

The breeze chilled Liz’s face when she and Elaine stepped out of the portal and onto the mountain. The sun was already almost below the horizon and the stars twinkled in the sky. The view on the mountain was beautiful and Liz took in the sheer multitude of stars. She hadn’t seen a view like this since she left her village. She couldn’t see the sky like this at the academy there was too much light but here in the wilderness, it was peaceful. She fastened her coat buttons and rubbed her hands together as she and Elaine walked to the edge of the cliff. 

Elaine slipped the spell book into a backpack and draped it across her shoulders. She began to tighten the straps around her shoulders and made sure her coat and pack were secure. The straps took some adjusting since they went around her wings and shoulders. Elaine wanted to make sure they wouldn’t hinder her flight.

“So, what kind of spells are in that book?” Liz asked.

“I’m not quite sure. There are a lot of mentions of creation, wings, and other spells. The book seems to be primarily about angels. Phaedon will be able to read the whole thing. So we’ll find out in a few minutes.” Elaine smiled.

She spread her wings and gave them a few experimental flaps before she dropped gently down to the ground again. She turned to face Liz and was about to grab her when Elaine’s whole body stiffened. She tilted her head and sniffed the air before her eyes widened.

“What is it?” Liz asked.

“Run.” Elaine hissed.

Liz didn’t even have a chance to ask any other questions before a blur collided with Elaine. She went tumbling to the forest floor and was a tangle of wings, claws and snarling. When the dust cleared Sebastian was on her pinning her to the ground with an arm against her chest. He managed to fasten a cuff on Elaine’s wrist before she kicked him off of her and rolled to her feet. 

They snarled at each other viciously and Elaine bared her fangs at him. Her eyes shifted to a solid green color and her claws slid from her fingers. “I don’t know what you’re doing but if you don’t leave I will rip your insides out.” She growled.

Sebastian chuckled and stood to his full height. “I would like to see you try, love.” 

Elaine flung her hand out in order to seize hold of Sebastian’s body but nothing happened. She glanced down at her arm and noticed the cuff on her wrist. “What did you do to me?”

“I’m leashing you,” Sebastian replied simply. He held his hand out and another cuff appeared in his grasp. Elaine snarled at him and used her other hand. Her power flowed from there and Sebastian’s body went rigid for a second. And then he was striding towards her. Elaine’s eyes widened in surprise and she tried to increase her hold on him.

Liz could see his body shaking but he pushed towards Elaine before he lunged at her again. He wrestled her to the ground and snapped the other cuff on her wrist. Elaine peered over his shoulders at Liz and mouthed the word ‘run.’

Liz turned her back on them and took off at a sprint into the woods. She didn’t get very far before something snagged her foot and she slammed into the ground. She looked back to see a rope of light wrapped around her ankle. She followed the rope and saw Sebastian holding the end of it. He began to tug her back towards him and Liz tried to scramble away but his hold was too strong.

When she was in reach he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. “You’re not going anywhere, pet.” Liz was reminded of the time he called her Klaus’ pet and she scoffed at the insult. He dragged her back towards Elaine and threw her down next to the other woman. A solid gold band appeared in his hand and it widened enough that he could slip it over Liz’s head. It tightened around her neck until it dug into her skin uncomfortably. Liz glared at him and tugged at the collar.

“What is this?” She demanded.

“It will cut off your bargain with Nikolaus. He won’t be able to feel your soul which means he won’t be able to find you. It dampens his hold on you. I would think a human would be grateful to be away from the demon that ensnared them.” Sebastian smirked at her but there was no amusement in his gaze. 

Liz glanced at Elaine and saw that her cuffed wrists were chained together. She was looking at Sebastian with so much loathing Liz didn’t know how the man wasn’t physically bursting into flames. He reached down and hauled both of them to their feet. 

“Walk.” he nudged them forward and Liz looped her arm through Elaine’s protectively. Sebastian rolled his eyes and stepped in front of them. “Don’t even try to run. You’re tethered to me and you won’t get far. If either of you do try to run, I’ll start breaking the bones of the other. And Liz, if you pray for help I will know it and it will be the last prayer you utter before I kill you. Understand?”

Elaine snarled at his back and Sebastian laughed as he led them through the dark woods. Elaine was seething and she made sure Liz stayed pressed against her side. She wasn’t letting anyone get near the girl. She tested the chains at her wrist as they walked and smiled. She could break out of these she just had to wait for the right time. She wanted to see where Sebastian was taking them first. She needed to know what he hoped to accomplish by taking them. What could he possibly be planning?

The glow of fire caught their attention first and Liz noticed a camp in the distance. She gave Elaine a questioning look and Elaine just shrugged. As they got closer though Liz saw something cross over Elaine’s face. She stopped in her tracks and physically recoiled at something. She began to back away and Liz looked at Sebastian to see if he was watching them.

“What is it?” Liz whispered.

“Seraphim,” Elaine replied. Her voice was desperate and her eyes were wide. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then another. Her chained hands found one of Liz’s in the darkness and the two of them began to walk again. 

“I will get you out of here. Don’t worry.” Elaine whispered. “If you see an opportunity to run then do it whether I’m free or not, do you understand me? Run as far and as fast as you can I’ll take care of your tether to Sebastian. Then pray for Nikolaus and tell him he has my full permission to hunt Sebastian to the ends of the earth and shred him bit by bit.”

Liz nodded and squeezed Elaine’s hand. “You can tell him yourself because you’re getting out of there too. Don’t give up before you’ve even seen the danger.”

“Oh, I’m not getting out of there.” Elaine gave her a sad smile. “They’ll make sure of it. I won’t be handed over like a prize though if I’m going back to Ahaz then I’m not going to be docile about it.”

With that last sentence, Elaine held her head high and stalked straight past Sebastian and into the camp. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Elaine passed him and Liz followed her inside. Elaine walked to the center of camp and looked every inch like she owned the place. If she hadn’t been in chains she would’ve looked like a queen.

She walked up to a seraphim in the middle of the circle of tents and tilted her head. He was on a small dais and he stiffened in surprise at her appearance. “Well? I’m here. After thousands of years, Your master finally has his claws on me again and it took an archangel to do it for him. You all are pathetic.”

“Hello again, Elaine.” The seraphim smiled and it showed off the fine points of its rotting teeth. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Go to hell, Domintius,” Elaine snarled.

Dominitius looked at Sebastian and then at Elaine again. “Betrayed by your own husband how does that feel?”

Elaine straightened her back and rolled her eyes. “He is not my husband anymore and I don’t really give a damn. Here’s the deal, I’ll come quietly but you let the human girl go. If you keep her here I will be sure to make your lives a living hell. I might not have my powers but I can be very difficult, if you remember.”

Elaine smiled when Domintius winced. “Yes, I remember your escape attempts during the war. Believe me, Ahaz won’t be so lenient with you this time. You are to remain chained at all times, now that we know the damage you can inflict when left to your own devices.”

“What did you do?” Liz whispered. Sebastian had placed her next to Elaine and Elaine smiled at her.

“I may not have been able to kill the seraphim because I am not an archangel but their supplies, food, and weapons aren’t indestructible. I might’ve destroyed a few hundred legions worth of supplies during an escape attempt.” Elaine shrugged.

Domintius did not look impressed. “Sadly you are in no position to bargain, Elaine. The human girl stays here. We know she is the lover of the God of the Underworld. She will be useful in swaying Nikolaus to our side.”

Liz snorted and Domintius narrowed his eyes at her. “You really think he would go to your side just because of me? Klaus cares for me but there is no way he would potentially harm humanity just to get me back. And if he sides with you then that would definitely be damning humanity. I hate to disappoint you. He’ll loose me someday to death, he’s aware of that. If it comes sooner than he expected then so be it but he would never aid you.” 

“We’ll see about that, human.” He waved his hands and Elaine’s backpack and various weapons appeared in his grasp. “Sebastian confiscated these from you and my-my, this looks interesting.” 

Domintius pulled the old book out of Elaine’s bag and inspected it. “Where did you get this?”

“It doesn’t matter. What is it?” Elaine asked shortly.

“It’s ancient. It was used in the creation of the first angels. It has various spells that deals with their creation and health. It was lost for a long time and then was found a few thousand years ago after the war. Your archangels at the time used it to turn humans into angels against their will. And you called us the monsters.” Domintius chuckled at Elaine’s shocked expression. “What, you didn’t know that your own kind used humans to breed, at least that is the story. We had been banished to the earth at the time and watched them abduct humans. Only a few of the archangels and seconds stood against the act.“

“This could be useful.” Domintius patted the book. “We were happy to aid the gods in the war but because we were ‘pure’ creatures we became corrupted by the bloodshed and death. And now we are this.”

Domintius waved his hand over his battered and rotting body. His four limp wings behind him twitched and he smiled. “We do not resent serving the gods. We hated how spoiled you angels were and were happy to fight for the beings that created us. It would be nice to be beautiful again, to be pure, and this book will restore us by making us angels.”

“We were definitely not spoiled by the gods. If you think that then you had no knowledge of the things they did to us. Beauty doesn’t automatically equal purity.” Elaine glared at him.

“No, you angels are a perfect example of that, but getting rid of these battered bodies would be useful. If only we knew if this transformation spell worked. As far as we know none of the humans that were transformed lived through it and any angels that would know are long dead.” Domintius trailed off and then his eyes fixated on Liz. “But we could test it right now.”

“Don’t you dare.” Elaine snarled and stepped in front of Liz.

“I can do what I please,” Domintius replied. He snapped his fingers and a group of seraphim appeared out of nowhere. “Restrain the girl and then restrain Elaine as well. I don’t want her interfering.” 

Liz backed away frantically and two seraphim grabbed her arms to hold her still.

Elaine shrieked and lunged at Domintius. She took him to the ground and tore into the flesh of his neck with her fangs. Seraphim grabbed her and pulled Elaine off of him and Domintius laughed. “Why waste your energy, Elaine? You can’t kill me.”

“Don’t hurt her!” Elaine yelled as she struggled against the group of seraphim surrounding her. “She’s done nothing wrong. I swear if you hurt her Nikolaus will roll through your forces like a plague. He will _slaughter_ you.” Elaine growled.

“Nikolaus and most of the archangels are children compared to us. We’ll bat them away like the pests that they are.” Domintius shrugged. He flipped through the book slowly until he found the spell he was looking for. “I need angel blood, I could ask Sebastian to give me some of his and he would probably be willing. Let’s make this interesting, though.”

Domintius pulled out a knife and slithered over to Elaine. He grabbed her wrist roughly and slit her palm with a dagger. He squeezed her hand into a fist and materialized a glass out of thin air. He filled the cup to the brim and dropped Elaine’s arm.

“Hold her still.” He commanded the two seraphim grasping Liz. He rose up in front of her and grabbed her jaw in his bony hand. He recited an incantation and then poured the blood into her mouth. She struggled against his hold but he was too strong for her. 

When Domintius was done the seraphim released her and Liz’s knees buckled. The cuff on her wrist suddenly cracked, the metal and crystal fell away from her wrist. For the first time in years, the skin on her arm was bare.

Domintius smiled at the sight. “Well, I’ll take that as a good sign. Demons can’t make deals with angels so if your mark is gone maybe that means this transformation is working. I would hate to be in the underworld right now. I’m sure Nikolaus is enraged.” He laughed and Liz fought the urge to vomit. 

Elaine screamed at Domintius in the background and ripped herself from the grasp of the seraphim. She pulled the chains at her wrist apart until her arms were free and her claws slid from her fingers again. 

Elaine stepped between Liz and the seraphim. A snarl ripped through her as she bared her fangs at them. She could feel her powers humming restlessly underneath her skin but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t break the hold on her powers. She needed to get these cuffs off as soon as possible. Domintius had the audacity to laugh at her.

“You have no power and you can’t fight through all of us, especially with an injured comrade.” He gestured to Liz and Elaine growled.

Liz tried to stand but her limbs felt like jello. “Stay down, Liz,” Elaine commanded. 

Elaine didn’t have to tell her twice. Liz collapsed to the ground as a fire spread through her body. If felt like she was burning from the inside out and the heat bared down on her. She buried her face in the soft cool grass and fought off the urge to sleep or to scream. She didn’t know which she wanted to do more.

Liz heard Elaine snarl again and she looked up in time to see one of the seraphim strike Elaine and shove her to her knees. Sebastian was standing near the treeline watching everything unfold. Liz had never hated anyone more than she hated him in that moment. 

Liz’s hand shook as she touched the bare skin on her wrist where her cuff had been. Her bargain was gone and it left her feeling hollow. Klaus wouldn’t know what happened to her and Elaine. He wouldn’t know if Liz was alive or dead. He had no ties to her, not anymore. Liz closed her eyes and wished he was here.

Her consciousness was slipping and her limbs felt detached as she tried to move her body towards Elaine. Domintius had a hand on Elaine’s neck and she clawed at its wrinkly green skin.

“Show me your wings.” The beast hissed. “I’m under orders not to harm you too badly but Ahaz won’t mind if you come to him without wings. Let me see those green feathers.”

There was real panic in Elaine’s eyes as she shook her head frantically back and forth. She dug her heels into the ground and tried to pull away from Domintius. “No, no, no, no, no.” Her whole body was shaking violently. 

Another seraphim pulled out a truncheon and Liz watched in horror as it moved toward Elaine. Liz tried to make her body stand, she had to help Elaine. Liz struggled to her feet at the same time the seraphim struck Elaine’s back.

“Show me your wings!”

Elaine gritted her teeth and glared at the seraphim with so much loathing. Her eyes snapped to Liz when she noticed her friend moving. “Get down, Liz,” Elaine growled the order.

She took hit after hit until Liz could see blood beginning to seep through Elaine’s clothes. Domintius pulled out a knife and Liz cried out in warning. He raised it above his head and brought his hand down as fast as he could to Elaine’s back.

Then the clearing exploded in a flash of light so bright it was blinding.

Fire erupted from somewhere and Liz dropped to the ground to keep from being singed. When the light and heat cleared ten seraphim were dead on the ground but Domintius was gone. Flames surrounded Elaine, the last remaining seraphim, and Sebastian. Liz’s eyes widened at the sight of Sebastian and her head whipped around to where he had been standing at the edge of the woods only seconds ago.

Another angel with silver hair and silver wings was standing in his place. The angel’s eyes were wide with fear and then they vanished quickly before anyone’s attention could fall on them. Liz looked back to the chaos and watched as Sebastian dug his claws into the seraphim’s chest. The creature screamed and a slow smile spread across Sebastian’s face. Elaine was unconscious behind him and Liz sighed in relief when she realized Elaine was still breathing.

Liz’s vision was starting to blur and she struggled to stay awake. Her body was begging her to sleep but she was afraid to close her eyes. She watched as Sebastian twisted his hand and the seraphim screeched in pain. 

“Where is your master, Nereus?”

Liz tilted her head in confusion at the sound of Sebastian’s voice. It was deeper and rough sounding. The tone was different as well, he no longer sounded so arrogant in fact he sounded bored. He still sounded like himself but not really the same. Something was very off about the whole situation. 

The seraphim didn’t reply and Sebastian gripped it’s hair roughly with his free hand. “You know how this will end.” He hissed. “You tell me what I want to know and I’ll kill you quickly. If you refuse to talk then I’ll torture it out of you. Either way, I get the information I need and you die. You control the pace. Which will it be?”

“A-Ahaz is in the north. He’s searching for a temple there, something to do with the archangels. I don’t know more than that I swear.” Nereus was trembling and Sebastian looked thoughtful. 

“Is Adastros with him?” Sebastian growled the name and a look of confusion crossed Nereus’ face.

“Adastros is long dead.”

A low wicked laugh escaped from Sebastian and he bared his fangs. “No, he isn’t. Thank you for the information, Nereus. I hope the underworld gives you the wretched afterlife you deserve.” 

With those last words, Sebastian ripped Nereus’ heart out in one smooth motion. He dropped the organ and body to the ground and snarled. His body was shaking and Liz watched as he rubbed at his temples. He took a deep breath and his shaking calmed as he turned to face Elaine. 

He knelt next to her and assessed her body. He gently cut the material from her back and placed his hand across the cuts on her skin. Her flesh began to stitch back together and Sebastian sighed in relief as he watched her the bruises and cuts disappear. His fingers drifted through her hair and he placed his forehead against hers. He sat like that for a minute with his eyes closed and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

He seemed to shake himself out of the moment and stood to his feet. Then his attention turned to Liz. Her whole body stilled and she pinched her eyes shut. Maybe if she slowed her breathing and pretended to be unconscious he would leave her alone. 

She could hear footsteps approach her and warm fingers pressed to the pulse point of her neck. She almost jumped at the hesitant touch as Sebastian checked to see if she was breathing and if she had injuries. Then Liz felt her body being lifted. He grabbed her forearms and slung her onto his back. Her arms draped around his neck and she could feel him binding her wrist together so she wouldn’t slide off of him. 

When he finally got Liz strapped to his body he knelt and picked up Elaine. His movements were so gentle as he tried not to jostle Elaine or Liz. She could feel the pull of his wings as he spread them and lifted off of the ground. He swore loudly at the unexpected weight of the three of them and he dropped back to the ground roughly. He grumbled something under his breath and then shot into the sky.

Liz felt the wind on her face as the cool night air whipped past her. Soon Sebastian’s movements and the fatigue in her bones dragged her into unconsciousness. 


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @his-beloved-mrs-mikaelson on tumblr made posters for this story and I’ve been looking at them all day. :) I might’ve squealed a little when I saw them. lol http://his-beloved-mrs-mikaelson.tumblr.com/post/157015573424/dreaming-in-silver-and-gold-by
> 
> The next few chapters are probably my favorite. Mild mentions of gore in the last section. It isn’t shown but it’s briefly thought about in the second paragraph.

Klaus lounged on his throne as he listened to the souls in front of him beg for mercy. He had already taken a look at their lives and choices and knew they were all going to damnation. He was prolonging judgment though, why not let them grovel and beg for a few minutes? They certainly deserved worse than a few moments of injured dignity. Lilith would have fun with this group.

Ice and darkness crept up his spine as Amelia’s skeletal hand slid onto his shoulder. He could hear the shadows that constantly swirled around her whispering to him and he batted her away. She floated past him, her tattered cloak rippling behind her like ink in water.

“What is your judgment, My Lord?”

Klaus opened his mouth to answer her when a feeling of emptiness suddenly washed over him. The arms of the rock throne cracked under his grip and he snarled. He couldn’t feel Liz’s soul. He slammed his staff on the ground and the souls in front of him exploded into a fine mist. Lilith would have to put them back together but he didn’t care.

He was up out of his throne and striding through his palace before Amelia had even transformed out of her reaper form. She finally caught up with him and ran in order to match his stride. 

“What’s going on?”

“I can’t feel Liz’s soul,” Klaus growled. “It’s there but it’s cut off from me. Something is wrong.” 

“Is she dead?”

“No, if she was-” Klaus swallowed thickly and took a deep breath.  “-if she was dead then I would have her soul already. Something is very wrong.”

“What do you need?” Amelia asked.

“Go get the others and meet me on the surface. Now.” 

Amelia vanished in a puff of smoke leaving him alone. As Klaus walked, darkness surrounded him and his armor replaced the fine clothes on his body. Klaus adjusted his gauntlets and swords before he whistled loudly. 

He opened a portal to the overworld just as Cerberus and the other hellhounds appeared next to him. They could read Klaus’ anger and fear and the group of them were a mass of snarling and rage. Cerberus’ hackles were raised as he stood next to his master and watched his pack bound out of the underworld. 

Klaus slipped into the portal behind them and into the darkness. When he emerged onto the mountain even the fresh air didn’t calm him. The night air was cool and smelt of the earth and grass. He ran his hands through the fur on Cerberus’ back as he tried to slow his racing heart.

He raised his head to the sky and sniffed the air. The scent of vanilla, citrus, and lavender caught his attention and he sighed. Elaine and Liz’s scents were still fresh which meant hopefully he could catch up to them quickly. He heard movement behind him as he walked signaling the arrival of Amelia and the others. They trailed after him as he followed the trail Elaine and Liz had left. He was afraid of what he would find when the forest cleared. If someone had stolen a soul from him or harmed Elaine or Liz he would hunt the culprit to the ends of the earth. Then after he killed them slowly he would make their afterlife eternal suffering.

The trail led to a cliff face and Klaus looked around as he searched for the girls. There was no sign of them and he was just about to order the hell hounds to start searching when another scent caught his attention. 

His lips curled back over his fangs as a snarl was pulled from his chest. Elias echoed the sound and the two of them made eye contact.

“What is is?” Vincent asked.

“Sebastian,” Klaus growled. 

Elias’ eyes had shifted from their violet color and his claws lengthened. Amelia was whispering in his ear with a hand on his chest no doubt trying to calm him down. Luca was watching all of them wearily. 

“Track them.” Klaus patted Cerberus’ side and the dog bounded into the woods with his pack on his tail. 

“I need to make sure that they aren’t in the heavens and I need to go up there to summon my legions and talk to Moira. If Sebastian has Liz and Elaine then I have the right to wage war on him. I have to get approval or things could get ugly. As angry as I am about this I have to approach this with a level head. I don’t want to cause a civil war.” Klaus ran his hands through his hair roughly. “And I can’t fly.” 

“You could send a note to the heavens,” Vincent said.

“A note might not get read immediately. Time is of the essence.” 

“Luca could pray,” Amelia said. “He could get Phaedon or Theodora’s attention and they could take you to the heavens.”

Everyone turned at once to look at Luca. He shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. “What do I say?”

“Pray to the Goddess of Life and the God of Frivolity. Their names are Theodora and Phaedon. Say you’re with me and that they are needed on earth immediately.” Klaus said.

“I can’t believe this is going to work.” Luca sighed and closed his eyes. A few moments passed and everyone shifted impatiently as they waited for something to happen. 

“You know I do have better things to do than answer your friend’s prayers, Nikolaus.” 

A voice drifted from the woods and Luca blinked in surprise. Phaedon and Spyridon stepped from the trees hand and hand. Phaedon smiled at the group and Klaus walked towards him.

“Evidently you don’t. Are Elaine and Liz with you?” Klaus crossed his arms.

“No, are the supposed to be with me?” Phaedon tilted his head.

“Elaine was bringing you a book to translate. Something has happened and I can’t feel Liz’s soul. I don’t think they even made it to the heavens and Sebastian’s scent is present in this area as well.” Klaus said.

“You don’t think he took them?” Spyridon said.

“I do think that. I need you to take me to the heavens so I can check and make sure they aren’t there. And if they aren’t then I’m going to collect my legions and go after him. The hellhounds are tracking Liz and Elaine’s scent in the woods but that might not mean anything. There are better jumping off points to the north of here and Elaine might’ve just taken Liz to one of those before flying to the heavens.” Klaus said.

“Alright, let’s go talk to Moira and Isidore. First, we’ll see if Sebastian is at home.” Phaedon grabbed Klaus and turned to his husband. “Would you help the horsemen track?”

“Of course.” Spyridon leaned forward and kissed Phaedon softly. Phaedon smiled into the kiss before spreading his wings and shooting into the sky with Klaus. Everyone watched them go and Vincent spoke up.

“Let’s go. The faster we find some clues the faster we can get Liz and Elaine back.”

* * *

Elaine tore herself from sleep violently as the memories of the seraphim assaulted her. She took in her surroundings frantically. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion when she realized she was in a dark cave. A fire roared in front of her and she was wrapped securely in fur from some animal. 

After a tentative sniff, she realized the pelt was from a bear. She rubbed her forehead as she tried to figure out how she had gotten out of the seraphim’s grasp and into this cave. A headache pounded in her skull and she growled in annoyance. She sorted through the hazy memories and her body froze.

Liz.

Elaine shot to her feet and let out a breath of relief when she spied Liz on the other side of the fire. Liz was still unconscious and she looked terrible but she was breathing. It was a small victory but Elaine was just glad Liz wasn’t dead. 

Elaine assessed her own body and was happy to see that her injuries were healing nicely. The cuffs that had restrained her powers were somehow gone and she let out a disbelieving laugh. With a wave of her hand, she materialized herself some fresh clothes, her baldric and knives, and her swords. She peeled the grimy clothes from her body and grimaced at the slight pull of her back. It seemed the cuts across her back were still an issue which meant flying was out of the question. Her wings were safe though and that’s all that mattered.

After she had her weapons in place, she knelt to check on Liz. Luckily her friend was uninjured for the most part. Her breathing was extremely shallow and her skin was pale and clammy. Elaine had no idea how to help her or how this process was supposed to go. She didn’t want to risk moving Liz and she had no idea what their location was. Sending word for Nikolaus to come get them was out of the question until she had more information. There were only certain points where she could access the underworld and she didn’t know if she was near one. She couldn’t open up portals just anywhere unless Klaus was nearby. She would have to explore. 

Elaine sighed and stood to her feet. She would go in search of food and get an idea of her surroundings. She needed to conserve her magic just in case of any trouble. After a quick look around the cave, she found the direction she needed to go and made her way to the entrance.

Her body stiffened when she saw a figure sitting at the entrance of the cave. As she crept closer she realized it was Sebastian. He was asleep with his back to the cave wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. His golden wings were relaxed on either side of him. His sword and shield were in reach of him and Elaine ran over a plan of attack in her mind. Anger simmered deep within her her bones and she slipped one of her swords from its sheath. She walked noiselessly over to him and readied her body to strike. 

She leapt at him but before she could even get close she found herself sprawled out on her back. She had woken Sebastian up and now he was on top of her and snarling in her face. Elaine felt her canines lengthen and she tightened her grip on her sword as she prepared to fight him. Before she could make a move though realization seemed to cross over his features. 

He was off of her in an instant and backed away from her slowly. Elaine blinked at him in confusion for a moment before scrambling to her feet. She roared at him and lunged at his throat with her sword. He didn’t react, didn’t move, just stood there with his arms crossed staring at her. She hit the forcefield that he had surrounded himself with and stumbled backward. She beat against the barrier and he watched her apathetically.

Sebastian tilted his head at her. Elaine snarled as she drew her other sword. “Lower your barrier.” 

“Why? So you can kill me?” Sebastian scoffed. “I don’t think so. I think we need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Elaine growled. “Lower your shield so I can finish this. You would rather me kill you than anyone else, believe me. Others won’t kill you quickly.” 

“How about this? You answer my questions and then if you still want to kill me I’ll let you.” His gaze was hard and Elaine watched him wearily.

He was blocking the entrance to the cave. Even if she found another way out of the cave, she wasn’t about to leave him alone with Liz. The only way she could get out of here was for him to move. She was also curious about what he wanted to say to her. He probably had a hand in getting her and Liz out of the seraphim’s grasp. She didn’t understand why he would turn them over and then save them.

“I guess I don’t really have a choice. Talk.” Elaine ordered.

Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again he looked older, tired. “How long has it been since the angels killed the final three gods?”

Elaine furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at his question. “It’s been thousands of years since the final battle took place at the city of Mont. You know this Sebastian you killed the god of war there. That’s when the angels finished off the gods and took control of the heavens.” 

Sebastian let out a disbelieving noise and shook his head. “Thousands of years.” He rubbed at his temples and Elaine noticed that his hands were shaking. 

He ran his hands through his hair roughly and rolled his shoulders. He found Elaine’s gaze and took a deep breath again. “What if I told you that I’ve been possessed for the last few thousand years by Adastros?” 

To Sebastian’s surprise, Elaine threw her head back and laughed bitterly. Her eyes flashed in the dark and she tapped her talons against her legs in irritation. “Do you know how many times a week I hear that lie from souls trying to get out of being punished for all the bad things they did? ‘A demon made me do it’ is the oldest excuse in the book. Adastros is dead.”

“I don’t know why on earth you would be interacting with souls but I’m telling you the truth.” Sebastian glared at her. “You don’t believe me? Take a look at my mind then. Adastros is very much alive.”

Elaine froze and crossed her arms over her chest. She tilted her head curiously and narrowed her eyes at him. “You haven’t let me inside your head in centuries.” She whispered.

“That’s because I wasn’t the only one occupying my head-space. If Adastros let you into my head you would’ve seen the difference in our minds. I’m inviting you in now. Take a look I’m sure you’ll be able to see traces of him.” Sebastian spread his arms.

“In order to do that you’re going to have to lower your shield.” Elaine raised an eyebrow and gave him a cold smile.

“Fine.” Sebastian snapped. He waved his hand and Elaine felt the barrier blink out of existence. She could kill him now it would be so easy all she would have to do was use the sword in her hand.

Her instincts screamed at her in outrage as she sheathed her weapons and walked towards him. She stood in front of him and her breath hitched. This was the closest she had been to him in days and her hands shook as she raised them to his temples. 

Elaine’s powers were unusual. The demons had a word for what she was ‘adripio’ which meant ‘to take hold of.’ Elaine could get into the body and seize the internal organs with just her mind. She could tear out someone’s heart through their chest, she could squeeze the air from their lungs, or rip out their intestines, and she could walk into people’s minds. The body was hers to do with as she pleased. She was one of a kind and her powers worked on everyone. The only exception were the seraphim. She could hold them, keep them still, but she couldn’t use her powers to kill them. That was only because she wasn’t an archangel. If she was ever crowned she would be beyond powerful. 

Her powers were the reason she had been placed on the front lines during the war. In Sebastian’s legions, Elaine would walk out onto the battlefield and stop thousands of seraphim in their path. The archangels could move freely through their enemies and slaughter them without risk of retaliation. 

She was stronger then and doing something like that now would be difficult. Centuries of not needing her powers had dulled them. Looking into someone’s mind was simple enough, though. All she had to do was enter someone’s head and take a look around. She and Sebastian used to communicate like this all the time. It was useful to be able to speak to each other without being overheard.

Then the seraphim had taken her. Ahaz coveted her power and wanted to craft her into a weapon. She was already one for the angels but that was by choice. He wanted to break her so she would do his bidding. Luckily before he succeeded, the angels managed to rescue her and the others that had been taken. Sebastian tore through Ahaz’s legions like a storm until nothing but tattered remains were left. After that Ahaz was forced to retreat back into the protection of the gods.

After she had been taken by Ahaz she and Sebastian stopped communicating telepathically. Elaine was in no state mentally or physically to use her abilities and had been removed from the front lines. When Sebastian had come back after the final city under the god’s rule had fallen to the angels, he was different. Elaine figured it was due to the trauma of the final days of the holy war. She heard about the terrible things that happened and the horrors the angels had faced at the hands of the gods. When he pushed her away she let him. They both had healing to do and she hadn’t let it bother her.

She relaxed her mind and extended her powers out towards him. She felt her presence move through his body as she sought out his mind. When she finally got into his head anger rippled through her. The mental shields she had put around his mind all those centuries ago were in shreds. 

Telepathy wasn’t common among the angels, Nikolaus and Karina, the goddess of wisdom, possessed lesser forms of the power. They could tamper with memories and thoughts but they couldn’t do much else. They were the only other two angels that Elaine knew of that possessed any form magic like that. The gods, however, possessed the ability to get into people’s heads. When she and Sebastian began their relationship she had put walls around his mind to keep the gods out. A lot of them had a personal vendetta against him and Elaine knew that they would’ve tried to get into his head eventually. She had done this for Phaedon as well.

It looked like it didn’t make much of a difference, though. Adastros had ripped through them like they were made of wet paper. She could see traces of his mind all over Sebastian’s. Adastros had gotten everywhere except a few places. It seemed he hadn’t been able to access a lot of Sebastian’s memories. He probably viewed them but he couldn’t tamper with them which was good. Elaine sighed in relief, at least one thing remained wholly Sebastian’s. She didn’t want to poke around his head a lot, she didn’t know exactly what Adastros had done and she didn’t want to accidentally hurt Sebastian. She slowly slid out of his mind and unfurled her consciousness back into her own body. 

He was telling the truth and Elaine felt sick.  

“Tell me what happened,” Elaine whispered. “I’ve heard accounts of that battle but I want to hear it from you.”

“I killed the god of war. Everything was in chaos by that point. We were getting slaughtered. It was just Phaedon and I and our legions against Adastros and the goddess of life. I can’t even remember her name.” Sebastian shook his head. “Then Isidore and Natalia showed up along with Ari and all their legions. That’s when the battle took a turn. We pushed their lines back and they began retreating. We followed them though, we didn’t want them to retreat we wanted to finish things once and for all. If we killed the final two gods then their ranks would be in a panic. So we pursued them.”

“Isidore killed the goddess of life and while he was busy with her Adastros went after Natalia. He was the only one left and he was panicking. The seraphim were retreating and he was vastly outnumbered. I stepped in front of Natalia. I took a blow meant for her which is where the wound on my left flank came from. Adastros managed to get past me and got a hit on Natalia and that’s when Isidore lost what little control he had. He lit the battlefield on fire and everything that wasn’t friendly towards the angels got incinerated.” Sebastian took a deep breath.

“That’s why they never recovered any of the god’s bodies,” Elaine closed her eyes.

“Because there was nothing left of them,” Sebastian answered. “Any bodies that remained were burnt beyond recognition. By the time Isidore let loose his magic though Adastros had already possessed me. He saw which way the war was going. He was the only one left so he did the only thing he could think of to survive. And it was painfully easy for him to get into my head.” Sebastian let out a bitter laugh. “After that, I fought him. I fought him for what felt like decades before I gave up and put my mind to sleep. I couldn’t see out of the prison he had crafted for me. I had no idea what happened after the war, I didn’t know what happened to you, how much time had passed. So, I just gave up.”

“When the souls went to the underworld the archangel ruling over the realm at the time should’ve realized one of the god’s souls was missing. How did they not realize Adastros’ soul wasn’t there?” Elaine asked.

“I don’t know I guess that’s something I’ll have to find out.” Sebastian trailed off and watched Elaine wearily. Neither of them really knew what to say or do around each other now that all of this was out in the open. After several moments of tense silence, Sebastian made eye contact with her.

“Where is my votum, Elaine? How long?”

She had broken the vow only days ago. Days! If only she had waited a little longer then they would still be married. She couldn’t feel guilty about it though she was surprised she made it as long as she had. 

“I broke my vow a few days ago,” she answered. “I’m going to kill Adastros when I see him.”

“Get in line.” Sebastian sighed. 

“Do you remember anything from the time you were possessed?”

“I have no memories of what went on outside my mind. Absolutely nothing. Adastros made sure I couldn’t see what he was doing. Although I’m sure the memories will surface eventually. I’m not really sure if I want to know. What have I been like the last few thousand years?”

“Not pleasant,” Elaine replied.

“So nothing new then?” Sebastian gave her the hint of a smile.

“There are a lot of things you should know about but I don’t know if now is the best time to talk about them. You were horrible Sebastian but it wasn’t _you_.” Elaine took a step towards him and he stepped away from her. He ignored her last statement and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Next question then. I can’t see out of my left eye is that permanent or is that recent?” Sebastian gestured to his face.

“Permanent and you’ve been that way for the last three hundred years.”

“What happened?”

“You got on the bad side of the god of the underworld. It’s not one of your finer moments and I don’t know if I should tell you right now.” Elaine admitted.

“Just tell me, Elaine. Please. All of this is going to come out eventually and I would rather hear it from you.” 

“You have two younger brothers,” Elaine whispered.

“Who on earth let my parents have any more children? They are terrible parents.”

“Well, they did. Nikolaus is eighteen hundred years old and Elias is thirteen hundred years old. Despite your parent's influence, they turned out wonderfully.” A fond smile drifted across Elaine’s features. “They aren’t perfect by any means but they’ve been good to me. Nikolaus became the god of the underworld three hundred years ago. Your family was outraged by his choice. Elias decided to go with him to the underworld rather than stay anywhere near your family. Your father and Adastros held Elias down and cut his wings off. Nikolaus showed up and saw what the two of them had done and lashed out. That’s why you can’t see out of that eye. He scraped his claws across your face. It extends from your temple across your eye, nose, lips and goes halfway down your neck. After Elias lost his wings I was so furious that I stopped being your second and decided to become Nikolaus’ second in command. That’s why I interact with souls I work in the underworld.” 

“I-I cut another angel’s wings off?” Sebastian looked absolutely horrified and Elaine approached him. “I cut my own brother’s wings off?”

“It wasn’t you,” she growled. “I know how possession works, Sebastian. You don’t have any control. It wasn’t you.”

She touched his cheek and he leaned into her touch. “There’s a lot we have to talk about. A lot of the things that happened while Adastros had his claws in you aren’t pleasant. What do you want to know and what do you want me to leave out?”

“If I have a question or if it is vital for me to know something then tell me. If it’s neither of those then I’ll remember on my own. I’m sure the memories will come back to haunt me eventually.” Sebastian swallowed and leaned his forehead against Elaine’s.

“I’m so sorry about all the things that you went through,” Sebastian whispered.

“If apologizing makes you feel better then I won’t tell you not to. Personally, I think out of the two of us you’ve been through worse. Know that I don’t hold anything against you. You had no choice and we will rain fire down on all those that hurt you. We’ll get through this together.” Elaine gripped his arm fiercely and Sebastian nodded.

* * *

Klaus, Moira, and Phaedon stormed through the quiet streets in the heavens. Klaus had explained to her what was going on and she had given him permission to access the legions of angels that he had under his command. Each archangel was responsible for leading ten legions. They were in place in case war ever broke out again.

Isidore led the army collectively as the god of war so Klaus had to go through him whenever he needed his soldiers. Natalia and Khryses, Isidore’s spouses, were commanders under Klaus which meant he had to disturb the entire household in the middle of the night. He hated to do it but he didn’t really have a choice. He didn’t want to use his demon army for a conflict among angels.

Spyridon had shown up a few minutes ago and told him that the horsemen had followed Elaine and LIz’s trail to a seraphim camp. If Sebastian had taken Liz and Elaine to the seraphim then everyone was in trouble. If Ahaz got Elaine back into his clutches then the angels wouldn’t stand a fighting chance.

His bargain with Liz was also completely shattered. It happened a few moments ago and Klaus was in more pain than he cared to admit. At first when all this started the bargain was just suppressed but now it was completely gone. It wasn’t possible and he didn’t know what had caused it but he would tear Sebastian limb from limb when he found him.

Klaus walked up to Isidore’s home and banged on the front door. After a few minutes, just when Klaus was debating on whether he should break the lock or not, the door opened. 

Natalia glared at him when she opened the door. Her dark curls were a chaotic mess on top of her head and she bared her fangs at him. “What do you want Nikolaus, it’s late and I haven’t slept it four days. This better be good.”

“I have to summon my soldiers Sebastian has taken Elaine and Liz and the seraphim might have them. I need you and Khryses in your armor and ready to go in ten minutes.” Klaus crossed his arms and Natalia’s features instantly relaxed.

“Come with me.” She led them into the vast house and up the main staircase. She approached a set of double doors and glanced back at the three angels trailing behind her. “Wait here.”

She entered a dark bedroom and Klaus listened to the muffled talking he could hear through the doors. He tapped his foot impatiently and Phaedon squeezed his shoulder. 

“It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get them back.”

“I don’t even know if either of them are alive Phaedon. There might not be a chance to get them back but I will make sure Sebastian and the rest of the seraphim are wiped from the earth before I’m done.” Klaus growled.

“And we’ll help you,” Moira said. “I’m going to hold a meeting in an hour and once I get the vote then the archangels will follow you into battle. We can’t let Ahaz get Elaine and if he has her we’ll have to take precaution against her and the seraphim.”

Suddenly Isidore, Natalia, and Khryses emerged into the hallway in full armor. Isidore turned and led the group further down the hallway. “Natalia told me what was going on. I’ll follow with my legions in an hour I need to make sure that the defenses around the heavens are secure first.”

Isidore threw open the doors to a balcony and led them out into the open night sky. He held out his hand and a golden staff appeared in his grasp. He slammed his staff down on the ground and a shockwave echoed through the heavens. He opened his mouth and his voice thundered through the sky.

“If you are under Nikolaus’ command I need you to report to the gates at once. You know your duties and what is required of you if you are summoned. Be ready to depart in five minutes. Anyone who doesn’t show will be punished. This is a matter of security and you will be briefed once you are on the earth’s surface. Move.” Isidore commanded.

“Thank you,” Klaus said. He and Isidore clasped forearms.

“Do you need anything else?”

“Yes, I’m grounded right now. I need a pegasus just in case I need to fly.” Klaus said.

Isidore whistled loudly and thunder cracked across the sky. The sound of hooves approaching caught their attention and a large black pegasus with silver wings stormed onto the balcony. Isidore smiled and nuzzled the beast.

“This is Leda. She was trained specifically for you. She’ll serve you well.” 

Klaus stroked the pegasus’ nose and the horse nudged him. Despite the situation, Klaus smiled. “Thank you, Natalia and Khryses will keep you posted on our movements.”

“We’ll join you the minute the meeting is done,” Phaedon said as he came to stand next to Isidore. “Let us know if you need anything before then.”

Isidore said goodbye to his spouses and the two angels spread their wings and dove off the balcony. Klaus mounted the pegasus and spurred her towards the railing. She spread her wings and took off into the night sky. 

* * *

Elaine watched the flames from the fire dance across the cave wall. Liz’s head was in her lap and she was gently running her fingers through the girl’s hair. It was both soothing for Liz and for Elaine. 

Things had gotten bad about a half hour ago. She and Sebastian had been discussing a few things when Liz’s screaming got their attention. Her body had been in the process of trying to grow wings and it was putting up a fight. Elaine had finally ended up holding her down while Sebastian carved a path through Liz’s back for them to grow. 

It had been bloody but Elaine was sure that Liz wasn’t conscious through any of it which was a small blessing. Now a pair of beautiful silver feathered wings rested between Liz’s shoulder blades. Elaine had cleaned up her back and feathers and now thanks to Liz’s new healing abilities her back looked almost normal again. Her breathing was leveling out and every once in awhile Elaine would hear a change in the pattern of it. Hopefully, she would wake up soon and they could move. 

“What’s your plan?” Elaine spoke up and turned her attention to Sebastian. He was in the middle of sharpening one of his blades and he glanced up at her.

“One of the seraphim told me that Ahaz is in the north and if Adastros is smart then he’ll be with the seraphim. I’m going north to hunt them as soon as it’s daylight. I can travel at night but I need a few hours to collect myself before heading out.” Sebastian admitted. He turned his attention back the weapon in his hand.

“Who is she and how did she get tied up in all of this?” Sebastian gestured to Liz.

“Her name is Liz. She’s Nikolaus’ lover. The seraphim were going to use her has a bargaining tool. Then they decided to test a spell on her. It transforms beings into angels. Apparently, it worked.” Elaine let out a disbelieving laugh. “Adastros brought Liz and I to the seraphim who were then going to turn me over to Ahaz.”

A growl rumbled in Sebastian’s chest but he didn’t comment on Ahaz or Adastros. “She was human?”

“She was but she’s not anymore,” Elaine said. 

“So I just kidnapped the lover of the brother that already despises me. That’s great. When she’s conscious you should probably return her to him.” Sebastian frowned.

“I don’t think I can fly just yet and I’m not sure I want to send you after the seraphim alone. You’re strong but we don’t know the seraphim’s numbers. I don’t want you to walk into something you can’t handle. Nikolaus is also probably already tracking us. We need the help of the other archangels. When Liz wakes up I’ll tell her that I can take her back once I’m healed but until then she’s stuck with us. I would let you take her back but if Nikolaus gets near you then he’ll kill you.” Elaine said.

“I don’t want to bring the archangels into this until I have more information. The seraphim said Ahaz was searching for a temple that had to do with the archangels. I think I know which temple he’s looking for. A few of my memories from the last month have started to filter back in and I know of some seraphim camps near here. I want to hit up a few them and get some more information before I go to the council. The archangels will be more likely to believe me if I can tell them what Adastros’ plan is.” Sebastian said. “I haven’t been able to sift through _all_ the memories but I’m starting to piece them together. How many of the archangels are alive that I would know?”

“Ari, that’s all. Costas is still his second in command. Phaedon, Isidore, Charis, and Dina all moved from second positions into archangel positions. Everyone else is relatively young.”

“So the majority of the council have only known me while I was possessed. Which means they don’t know me and I don’t know them. Can I trust them?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes, without a doubt. There isn’t one of them that I wouldn’t trust. It shouldn’t take a lot for the council to believe you, Sebastian. They have my testimony and Nikolaus can look at souls. If he takes a look at you then he’ll be able to see the damage Adastros did. If both of us vouch for you then the council will follow.” Elaine shrugged.

“You make that sound so easy.” Sebastian scoffed. “Will Nikolaus stop long enough to listen to me?”

“Probably not,” Elaine admitted slowly.

“How strong is he? Is that a fight I’m going to win?”

“It depends. If he approaches things with a level head and uses his magic against you then you’ll lose. His magic is unbelievable. If he loses his temper and lashes out at you or transforms into his demon form then you’ll win. He’s excellent in combat but you’re a general and you have more experience. You’ll kick his butt.” She smiled. Elaine glanced down at Liz and smoothed her matted hair off of her face.

“Getting Liz on your side would be an advantage. Klaus will listen to her.” 

“Well, it looks like I’ll just have to be really nice the next few days then,” Sebastian said. He inspected his weapon and smiled at Elaine. “I’m going to go hunt us some food so we don’t have to use magic. Shout if you need me but try to keep quiet otherwise.”

“Be safe.”

Sebastian pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he passed by her. Elaine hated to admit it but she blushed like a teenager when she felt the kiss. She needed to get her heart under control and focus on the task at hand. Things would get bad very quickly and she just hoped they all made it out of this in one piece.


	18. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind comments! :) I've had a few people ask about the update schedule so I just wanted to say that I update every 2-3 weeks. There's a discussion about the mistreatment of the angels committed by the gods in this chapter. I don't go into too much detail about it and it only lasts a few paragraphs.

“You won’t win.”

Sebastian jumped at the unexpected voice and tightened his grip on Elaine. She was sprawled across his lap sleeping peacefully and he stroked her hair. It was a grounding gesture and he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. His heart hammered in his chest as he finally opened his eyes.

Adastros stepped from the darkness and Sebastian’s lips curled back over his fangs as a snarl ripped from his chest. He knew Adastros wasn’t really there, he knew that the god was just projecting himself across the lands to further torment Sebastian. Still the idea that he knew where Sebastian was hiding put the angel's teeth on edge.

“I’m going to leash you once again and then I’ll hand Elaine over to Ahaz.” Adastros smirked and Sebastian gazed up into the gods dead blue eyes.

“If you touch her or any of the angels I will make your death so full of suffering you’ll be begging for the fires of the underworld.” 

“You always were a bunch of talk.” Adastros smirked.

“Oh?” Sebastian tilted his head. “Why don’t you ask all the gods currently rotting in the underworld if I’m just all talk. You are outnumbered Adastros and you have so many sins that you need to answer for. It’s not just me coming after you. When the others find out you’re still alive they will stop at nothing until your dead. Phaedon will enjoy getting his hands on you.” 

“I enjoy a challenge. Soon all of you will be under the heel of my boot where you belong. I can’t wait to break you and the others all over again. And all the archangels that grew up not knowing my cruelty will learn. Those will be fun to torment.” Adastros buried his hands in his pockets and smiled. “If I were you I would wake up little Elaine and the new angel over there and get moving. I’m sending some seraphim to you as a present. Let’s see if your combat skills have held up. Have fun.” Adastros vanished in a puff of smoke. 

* * *

 

A shiver running up her spine was the first sensation Liz was aware of. It felt like she had been plunged into icy water and she was struggling to get to the surface. Her body was healing and changing, she could feel it. The most alarming difference was the weight between her shoulder blades. She vaguely remembered an overwhelming pain at her back but the only lingering sensation left now was a dull ache. 

She shivered again as the wind whipped around her fiercely. She jumped as consciousness finally slammed into her and her eyes fluttered open. Someone tightened their arms around her waist and she was shocked to find out that she was being carried through the woods.

“Don’t move.” Elaine’s voice hissed in her ear. 

Liz raised her head in order to see the dark forest blurring past them. Elaine was sprinting through the woods at blinding speed and Liz tightened her arms around Elaine’s neck. “What’s going-”

“Hush,” Elaine interrupted her. “I’ll explain everything to you in a moment but right now I need you to be quiet and to trust me. There are some seraphim after us.” 

“Alright.” Liz nodded. “I trust you.”

“Good because I”m about to engage them,” Elaine replied. She skidded to a halt and shoved Liz behind her. Her swords appeared in her hands and she took up a fighting stance. “No matter what happens you stay close to me.”

The seraphim appeared in a flash around them and Liz realized how close they had been to Elaine and herself if they were able to catch up to them this quickly. Elaine growled at them and pulled her teeth back over her gleaming fangs. She snapped them at the seraphim angrily and they all took a step towards her despite her fury.

She spun her swords in her hands and smiled at the beasts. “What are you all waiting for? An invitation? Let’s get this over with.”

The seraphim directly in front of them surged forward when suddenly its body hit the ground with a loud thud. It was unmoving and a golden arrow protruded from its eye socket. The creature wouldn’t be getting up again. Liz winced at the gruesome sight and involuntarily moved towards Elaine.

“Took you long enough.” Elaine looked up at the canopy of trees above them and smirked.

“Well excuse me, I had my own pack of seraphim to fight and then I had to catch up to you.” Sebastian dropped down from the trees and landed in front of Elaine and Liz. He raised himself to his full height and tilted his head as he took in the seraphim around them. His golden wings spread to their full length and his claws and horns appeared on his body. It was the first time Liz had ever seen him without any cloaking magic. He cut a rather imposing sight and Liz almost felt bad for the seraphim that were about to be killed. She was just confused as to why Sebastian was even helping them at all. 

“You would think after centuries of trying to cage you they would’ve given up by now, Elaine.”

“They aren’t really renown for their genius, my love.” Elaine scoffed.

Sebastian laughed and stepped towards the seraphim. “Listen up! Leave now and you won’t have to face me, at least not yet. Stay, and you’ll end up like the forty dead seraphim lying in the woods about two miles south of here. It’s your choice, live a few more days or die right now.” Sebastian spread his arms out in an arrogant posturing gesture and his eyes shifted to solid gold. “Which will it be?”

The seraphim rushed forward all at once and took Sebastian to the forest floor. He roared and freed himself from their grasp with immortal strength. In the blink of an eye, ten seraphim hit the ground and didn’t get up again. Sebastian’s sword was stained with blood and Liz hadn’t had even seen him wield it. He had moved so quickly that her eyes hadn’t been able to follow his strike. The seraphim backed away from him in fear and Sebastian raised his free hand towards them. 

The earth shook and a deep cavern opened up underneath the monsters. They tumbled into its depths and then Sebastian closed his fist. The hole closed up with a sickening crunch and the seraphim were crushed under the weight of the earth on top of them.

Sebastian lowered his hand and spun his sword before he sheathed it. He and Elaine high fived and Liz gaped at both of them in disbelief. 

“So how was that?” Sebastian crossed his arms and he smiled down at Elaine.

“Better than the last round of seraphim we just fought. You’re still leaving your left side open for attack but it’s only because of your loss of sight in that eye. You’re still trying to rely on what you see. You need to listen a little better so you don’t get taken by surprise. Other than that your fighting isn’t that rusty. You’ve technically been idle for thousands of years and you just killed sixty seraphim in the span of ten minutes. That’s not bad.” Elaine grinned up at him. Sebastian kissed her lightly at the praise.

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Liz demanded. They both turned to face her and she fought the urge to stomp her foot in frustration. A few hours ago Sebastian had been turning them over to seraphim and now he and Elaine were kissing? “I just woke up, I have wings and I’ve magically changed species, and I’m in the woods in the middle of the night.”

Sebastian motioned for Elaine to take care of things and she stepped towards Liz. “What do you remember?”

“Everything up until I fell asleep while Sebastian carried us.” She didn’t know why he had saved them but she was still grateful. She took a deep breath and eyed him wearily. “Thank you for that.”

He nodded at her and the corner of Elaine’s mouth lifted up into a lopsided grin. “You’re an angel now which I guess you’ve gathered by the wings on your back. Are you hurting anywhere?”

“No, I’m okay. My back is a little sore from where my wings grew but it’s healing quickly. I can feel it.” Liz rolled her shoulders awkwardly and grimaced. “Are you alright Elaine?”

“I’m fine. My back is still a little worse for wear so flying is out of the question but I’ll be good as new in a few hours. And that brings me to the next issue. I can’t just open up a portal to the underworld unless Klaus is nearby and he’s not. Since I can’t fly that means that getting you back to Klaus would be difficult at this moment. Sebastian could take you and find Klaus but that would end in a fight between them. So for now, you’re stuck with us.”

Elaine took a deep breath and glanced at Sebastian they seemed to have an entire conversation with just their eyes before Elaine turned back to Liz. “There’s more. One of the original gods that we defeated in the war is still alive. His name is Adastros and he has been possessing Sebastian for the last 3,000 years, roughly. We’ve been interrogating Seraphim for the past two hours as we come across their camps and we’ve figured out his plan.”

“There is a temple in the north dedicated to the archangels. Adastros has a spell that if performed in this temple, would subdue the archangels powers. We wouldn’t be able to kill the seraphim and wouldn’t be strong enough to defeat Adastros. He would do away with the angels and take back control of the heavens, underworld, and earth for himself.” Sebastian addressed Liz for the first time. He fidgeted awkwardly and crossed his arms across his chest. “Luckily Adastros and the seraphim don’t know where the temple is located, I do. That will buy us some time.”

“Okay. I think I saw Adastros last night when you were interrogating that seraphim.” Liz said slowly. “There was another angel standing near the woods, one I didn’t recognize.”

“That was probably him,” Sebastian growled. “I was a little too preoccupied to notice.”

She tried to wrap her mind around all this information and she rubbed her forehead. “What’s your plan?”

“I want to get more information from the seraphim and then I want to take what I know to the archangels but not until I have the full story,” Sebastian said.

“How do we know he’s telling the truth?” Liz directed the question to Elaine.

“I can get inside people’s heads and look at their minds. Sebastian allowed me to view his mind and I saw traces of Adastros’ possession there. He’s not lying. I can prove it to you if you want.”

Liz shook her head and smiled. “No, I trust you, Elaine. If you say Sebastian is telling the truth then I’ll trust him as well. Plus I saw Adastros with my own eyes. I know you both aren't lying.”

“Good,” Elaine walked past Liz and headed towards the treeline. “We’ll probably need you to talk Klaus down from his anger whenever we reunite with the archangels. I appreciate your trust.”

Liz followed her and felt Sebastian behind her. She turned to him and held her hand out. He looked at her for a few seconds before finally grasping her hand in his.

“It’s nice to meet you officially, Sebastian. I’m Liz.”

Her words made him smile and his eyes crinkled at the corners. His scars pulled slightly at the gesture but it didn’t take away from his grin. It was the first genuine smile she had ever seen him give and she returned it.

“It’s nice to meet you too Liz.” He released her hand before walking past her. “I hope you’re ready to stretch your legs and test out your new speed.”

He disappeared in a blur as he moved into a sprint and Liz laughed. She took a deep breath before heading after him and Elaine.

* * *

 

The rays of the early morning sun broke through the clouds and painted the earth in pink, gold, and orange hues. 

Klaus sighed as he left the noise of his legions behind him. He gave the excuse that he was going to scout ahead but in truth, he just wanted to be alone for a minute. He had gone to check the garden of souls an hour ago in both the heavens and the underworld. Elaine and Liz’s flowers were both still alive. In fact, Liz’s flower was more of a menace than ever. It covered every surface it could get its roots on and Klaus had no idea why it was doing that. Now that he knew that Elaine and Liz were alive though he felt somewhat relieved. He just had to find them and do away with Sebastian.

He was tired. He hadn’t had a break in weeks with Elaine being hurt and the demons escaping the underworld. It seemed every time things started to die down then something else would disrupt the peace. He needed to get Liz back to school and wanted to have one relaxing day in the underworld to catch up on his work. They both deserved a little normality.

He vaulted over a fallen log when a familiar scent slammed into him. He snarled viciously as Sebastian’s scent engulfed him and he raised his head to the sky. His brother was near and Klaus was going to find him. He skidded to a halt and changed directions as he followed the trail.

* * *

 

Liz’s lungs burned as she pushed her body through the peaceful forest. All around her birds were singing happily and animals were skittering about. They were all completely oblivious to the three angels that moved swiftly through their midst.

Liz was enjoying taking in the differences of her new body. Her eyesight had never been bad but now everything was crystal clear. The sunlight glittered just a little more and the grass was a richer shade of green. The bark on the trees was more pronounced and the texture of it felt like velvet to touch. Her favorite new sense though was the sense of smell. The scent of the earth and grass was like a balm to her soul. It was fresh and clean and she felt invigorated as she breathed it in.

They had been running non-stop for four hours and she didn’t understand how she wasn’t completely out of breath or exhausted. Her muscles ached and her breathing was harsh but she felt like she could continue going for another hour or two. Sebastian and Elaine were faster than she was and the two of them were sprinting ahead of her. They moved with experienced grace and ease and Liz envied them a little. She felt like a newborn animal that couldn’t quite get its feet and legs to work.

“Wait!”

Elaine skidded to a sudden stop and Liz slammed into Sebastian's back. He turned and glared at her but he grabbed her before she could fall backward and for that she was grateful.

He released her and unsheathed a knife. He moved into a defensive stance and scanned the forest. “What is it, Elaine?”

“Relax, Bash.” Elaine placed a hand on his arm and led him forward. “That’s why we stopped.” She pointed to a grove of trees and in the middle of it was a large hot spring. Steam wafted off the water and Liz took an involuntary step towards it. She felt grimy and sore. Sinking into the warm water would feel wonderful.

Sebastian flipped his knife and sheathed the weapon. “No, we don’t have time to stop. We have an army at our backs and the seraphim ahead of us. We need to keep moving.”

Early that morning Sebastian had detected the angels behind them. Elaine knew that it was probably Klaus and his legions. They were keeping a far enough distance from the army so that hopefully they wouldn’t encounter the angels until they were ready. 

“We’ve been running all day and I feel disgusting. I still have blood caked on me from my injuries caused by the seraphim. Not to mention if we’re going to be fighting soon our wings probably need to be preened in order to make sure everything is in order. Please, can we stop? Just long enough to rinse off?” Elaine leaned her head against his arm and blinked up at him. Liz had to fight the urge not to giggle at Elaine’s pleading expression.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and untangled himself from her. “No.”

Elaine smiled at him before shoving him back into the water. He hit the surface with a loud splash and Liz covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt not to bust out laughing. Sebastian resurfaced and glared at both of them before shaking his hair out of his face. He stormed out of the water and Elaine crossed her arms and tilted her head while she watched him.

“You’re so annoying.” He snarled.

“You love me so much, though.” Elaine grinned.

“I do. Fine, you have twenty minutes.” He bared his fangs at Elaine and she raised up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“Thank you. Why don’t you go hunt while we clean up and then I’ll help you preen?” Elaine replied. “If we stop and eat now then we can travel another 24 hours without stopping.”

Sebastian was too busy ignoring her and grumbling about how his boots and socks were wet. He toed off his boots and socks before chucking off his baldric, knives, and gray cotton shirt. He laid out his weapons, shirt, and shoes on the grass and Liz froze as she looked him over.

He was lean and tanned from dealing with the sun every day. Liz had never seen him in anything but suits but underneath those, he had a warrior's body. His shoulders were wide and muscular. What caught her attention through were his scars.

She had noticed the faint scars on his hands a few days ago at the wedding but those were nothing compared to the others. Scars and burns covered his arms, torso, and back. They weren’t haphazard like you would get in a fight. These marks were strategic and well placed. These scars were meant to torture. Liz’s breath hitched and she glanced at Elaine in question. Elaine shook her head and mouthed the words ‘ask me later’ at Liz.

Something else caught Liz’s attention, though. On Sebastian’s arms were six thick gold bands. He had one wrapped around each bicep, a set just above the bend in his elbow, and another set around each forearm. They were beautiful with intricate swirls and various carvings on the metallic surface. They looked uncomfortable and a little tight but he didn’t really seem to mind them.

He slammed his hands together and the bands began to glow faintly. Golden chains extended from each of the cuffs and stretched up into the sky above them. He grasped the six chains in his fists and began to pull at whatever they were connected to above him. He dug his feet into the ground and walked backward.

Liz watched in awe as the sun overhead moved slightly. Not enough for anyone to really notice but just enough so the warmth of the sun was directed onto the bank of the spring. It warmed the ground and Liz realized that Sebastian had just moved the sun so that his clothes would dry faster. She shook her head in amusement and Sebastian picked up his sword off the grass.

“I’ll give you two some privacy.”

“Shout if you need me,” Elaine said and Sebastian nodded before sprinting into the woods.

Elaine watched him go before turning to Liz. She began to take off her various weapons and dropped them to the grass one by one. “I know that you would probably prefer that Klaus be the one to help you preen for the first time but I should take a look at your wings. I need to make sure all the feathers are aligned and growing the way they should. Are you going to be okay with that? How do they feel?”

“They feel fine. My left wing feels a little weird. I would be grateful if you could look them over.” Liz admitted.

Elaine tilted her head as she toed off her boots. “Weird in what way?”

“The feathers on the backside of my wing near the bottom feel strange. They’re tugging on my skin a little sharply.” Liz said.

“Can I look?” Elaine motioned for her to turn around and Liz did as she said. Liz spread her wings and sighed at the stretch of them. She felt her body involuntarily tense when she sensed Elaine behind her. She knew Elaine wouldn’t hurt her and she was surprised at the gut reaction to someone approaching her wings. Her body was screaming at her to make sure that someone wasn’t trying to harm her.

“I’m going to touch your left wing,” Elaine said. Liz jumped when she felt a hand run across her feathers. Elaine inspected her gently and soon Liz felt the tension uncurl from her shoulders. “I need to move some feathers around a little. It shouldn’t hurt and it’ll be fixed by some steam and a good preening. You’ve got a cluster on your wing that is bent. That’s probably what’s pulling. Get in and rinse off and then I’ll work on your feathers.”

Elaine turned her back on Liz and sat down on the grass. Liz felt grateful for the small amount of privacy and began to shed her clothing. Elaine tilted her head to the sun warming the bank and closed her eyes.

“Can I ask-”

“- about Sebastian’s scars.” Elaine interrupted her and Liz stepped into the water.

“Yes. You don’t have to tell me, though. He has more scars than I would expect. Even from someone who fought in a war.” Liz sunk slowly into the warmth of the spring and fought the urge to groan at the feel of it. The water lapped at her sore muscles and she relaxed against the bank behind her.

“They aren’t from the war,” Elaine said. “I mean, there are several that he received in battle but the burns and the majority of them are from the gods.” 

“Why?” Liz glanced back at her.

“The gods weren’t kind to the angels,” Elaine whispered. “The gods had favorites. Some of them were archangels some of them were just angels that had unique powers. I kept my powers hidden until the war started out of fear that the gods would notice me. Sebastian became an archangel when he was 600 years old. The youngest one to this day. He can wield immense power and the gods noticed and took an interest in him.”

“At that time, the archangels were essentially glorified messengers. They were the one’s that interacted with the humans on the god’s behalf. They made sure the heavens, underworld, and the earth ran smoothly. They carried out every single order the gods gave them or they were punished.” 

Liz closed her eyes, she knew where this was going. Elaine continued, “The archangels liked interacting with the humans but they were tired of doing the god’s jobs and being treated so poorly by their makers. The archangels began to speak out against the gods and goddesses. The angels took notice of the growing tension and pushed the archangels to do something about the god’s mistreatment.  So in order to squash, the rebellion before it started the gods forced the archangels into submission using physical punishments, blackmail, anything they could use to subdue them. Sebastian took one too many punishments and retreated into himself. Sebastian is not that talkative to begin with and the gods tore at him until he internalized everything. Some of the others took longer to break.”

“Phaedon was just a second but he was a favorite of Adastros and one of the other goddesses and they expected obedience from him. Well, you know that Phaedon isn’t one to follow orders. He was getting hurt far too often and no matter what they did to him he would remain defiant. One day during a particularly bad punishment Sebastian stepped in between Phaedon and Adastros. That’s when the gods figured out that they could use Sebastian against Phaedon. So from then on whenever Phaedon acted out they punished Sebastian. It didn’t take long until Phaedon backed down just to spare his friend.”

“Ari and his husband Costas were the ones that began to organize the rebellion. The angels easily outnumbered the gods by hundreds of thousands and the archangels had most of the gods power. Little did we all know that the gods were preparing too. The seraphim weren’t warriors they were gentle creatures but the gods needed an army and the angels would, of course, follow the archangels. They used spells to turn the seraphim into their warriors and corrupted their souls.” 

“The seraphim want to use that book we lost to turn themselves into angels and restore some of their former glory. What they don’t realize is that their souls are beyond repair and if they make themselves angels it will be that much easier for us to exterminate them. When the gods lost we banished the seraphim to the earth in hopes that they would keep to themselves and live peacefully. Then they started hunting humans.” Elaine shook her head.

“What about demons? You all fought alongside each other and there still seems to be a lot of hostility between your species and the demons.” Liz asked.

“Our species.” Elaine corrected her. “Our relationship with the demons is complicated. We respect them and for the most part, we like them but they are devious and cruel by nature. So are we, but we’re hardwired to care for humans the demons are not. Humans are their prey. So while we don’t dislike the demons we can’t just give them free reign to do whatever they want. They are confined to the underworld and are allowed out in small groups to make deals and collect souls. We can’t keep them from preying on humans entirely, it’s their food source but we can limit the amount of them on the surface at any given time. They are free to consume souls but we have to make sure they aren't attracting the attention of the humans. They have legends about demons and divine creatures in the first place because for a time demons, banshees, and other creatures weren't restricted. Too many humans were dying too quickly.”

“The demons want to be allowed out of the underworld all the time and they want the underworld to themselves. We can’t allow that. The preying on humans would be too widespread and the souls would be neglected. Klaus is the first archangel ever to take their needs into account, though. He has a council that he gets advice from and he respects his generals. Klaus doesn’t need souls to survive he’s not a full demon and the horsemen are bound to his power and only need to consume souls once a decade. So Klaus has done the same thing to all the demons in the underworld. He offers up bits of his immortality and his life force to the underworld in order to keep the demons need to consume souls down. A lot of the demons are satisfied with this arrangement, they still get a food source and they don’t have to go to the surface to feed on humans. Some aren’t happy with the alternative he's provided and those are the ones that like to attack Klaus.” 

“Wait,” Liz turned around to look at Elaine. “Klaus is offering up his life force? Does that harm him?”

“No,” Elaine chuckled to herself. “We’re immortal so our lives are infinite. If he was mortal it would take years of his life but since he’s got an unlimited amount of days left then it doesn’t do anything. He does the offering once a year and he’s a little weak for a few days afterward but other than that he’s fine.”

It got quiet between them and Liz enjoyed the warmth of the water. She processed everything Elaine had told her and anger flared in her when she thought of Phaedon, and even Sebastian, being tortured. Whenever they found Adastros she hoped that Sebastian would deal with him quickly. The angels didn’t deserve to be mistreated by the god any longer.

Suddenly the water began to heat rapidly and Liz looked down to see that her submerged hands were on fire despite the water around them. She lifted her hands in surprise and made a panicked sound. Elaine turned around and her eyes widened at the sight.

She scrambled to her feet and stormed towards Liz. “It’s hellfire. It won’t burn you, you’re wielding it. Relax, take a deep breath. Pretend like you’re casting with a wand and not your hands. What would you do if you wanted to stop a fire spell? Just calm down and let the magic dissipate.” 

Liz took a deep breath and inspected the flames dancing around her hands and fingers. The fire was a combination of blue and purple hues and it flickered excitedly as she moved her hands. She felt the anger and surprise leave her body bit by bit and the fire slowly blinked out of existence as she relaxed. Liz inspected her hands for burns but there was none.

Elaine let out a disbelieving laugh and walked a few feet away so Liz could get out of the pool. “Okay, so we know that you can wield hellfire now. What set it off? What were you thinking about?”

“I was angry at the thought of anyone harming Phaedon or Sebastian or any of the angels really,” Liz admitted. “You all are my friends and I don’t want you to be hurt.”

She got out of the spring and was surprised when a warm gust of wind blew rapidly around her. Liz laughed as It lifted her hair and dried her skin. She glanced over at Elaine to see that she had her hands lifted slightly. “Thanks for the wind.” Liz grinned.

“You’re welcome. Get dressed while I rinse off and then we’ll preen.” Liz dressed lazily and began to braid her hair back off of her face. Elaine removed her shirt and was about to finish undressing when her head snapped up in panic. She cocked her head to the side as she listened to something far off in the distance. Liz tried to listen as well but whatever Elaine was hearing Liz couldn’t hear it. She wasn’t accustomed to her enhanced senses yet and had no idea how to use them like Elaine did. Elaine put her shirt back in place and began to tie her boots. “We have to go.”

She strapped her weapons to her body quickly and gathered up Sebastian’s baldric and shirt. She broke into a run and Liz struggled to keep up with her.

“What’s wrong, Elaine?” Liz demanded when she finally caught up to her friend.

“Klaus just found Sebastian. I can hear the struggle. I can’t let them hurt each other.” Elaine increased her pace and the two of them hurried forward. The scent of chypre hit Liz like a wall then and she smiled. Klaus _was_ nearby, she hoped they were able to intervene before anything bad happened.

* * *

 

The trees were a blur as Sebastian sprinted through the forest. He was having trouble locating any animals in this area for food and it was frustrating. He didn’t really want to use his powers to produce something to eat but if he didn’t find something soon he would have to. 

He paused in a clearing and closed his eyes as he listened to the still forest around him. There were some birds chirping but those would be too small to eat. There was nothing around for miles and that was odd. Why were there no animals in this area? Did something scare them off?

That’s when he heard it. The faint sound of drumming drifted through the forest and Sebastian growled in frustration. The angel’s army was closer than he thought and he wasn’t entirely ready to deal with the other archangels yet. He had no idea what he was going to say to them. Would they even let him explain himself or would they just execute him on sight? He needed to get back to Liz and Elaine.

He turned to leave and head towards the spring when someone emerged from the trees in front of him. He swore when he realized it was a demon. The creature stocked towards him slowly and Sebastian backed away towards the trees. He gripped his sword and wished he had his knives and shield with him. His wings twitched behind him as his body readied itself to fight.

The demon wasn’t fully transformed and Sebastian was thankful for that small mercy. His fighting was still a little rusty and he was getting used to not having sight in his left eye. On top of that, he couldn’t unleash his full power without alerting the angels nearby of his location. If the creature wasn’t fully transformed he would be able to handle this quickly and quietly. 

He didn't even have time to think before the demon attacked him, plummeting over him with a ferocious roar that chilled him to the core. They collided with a loud band and Sebastian dug his feet into the ground in an attempt to gain some leverage. He dropped his weapons in the struggle and growled in annoyance. He found himself pinned against a tree. The sharp and lethal talons of the demon were pressed uncomfortably against his throat and fangs that were far too sharp were bared in front of him.

“Where are they?” The demon snarled and tightened the hand on Sebastian’s neck with shocking strength. “Answer me!” 

Sebastian scowled and gripped the beast’s wrist. He twisted it with a painful snap and caused it to loosen its hold on him. “I don’t know what you need them for but you won't find them.”

He tore into the demon’s chest with his claws as he searched for the creature’s heart so he could rip it out. The demon backed away from him quickly before letting loose a bone shattering growl. Black feathered wings unfolded from its back and Sebastian’s eyes widened in realization.

This wasn’t a demon, this was the god of the underworld. He was fighting an archangel. 

“Nikolaus.” Sebastian made his weapons disappear as he looked at his brother for the first time. “Listen to me.”

“Where are they? Are they safe? Tell me.” Klaus stormed towards him and Sebastian threw up a forcefield in front of himself. Klaus eyed the invisible wall in front of him with sharp focus. Sebastian had the feeling that it wouldn’t take his brother long to find a weak spot in his defenses.

“You have to listen to me,” Sebastian growled and Klaus threw his head back and laughed.

“I will do no such thing. I’ll give you one last chance to tell me where they are before I start ripping you to shreds.” Klaus bared his fangs at Sebastian.

Darkness began to leak from Klaus like ink. The wisps climbed up the wall of Sebastian’s shield and Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise when the shadows forced their way through his defenses. The shield shattered and darkness wrapped around his arms and legs like a vice.

“Tell me,” Klaus sauntered forward again and his fangs flashed as he snapped them in irritation. “where Elaine and Liz are.”

All of a sudden Klaus wasn’t in front of him anymore. There was a vicious sound of teeth gnashing together. Then the archangel was sprawled across the ground and Elaine was on top of him. She roared in his face as her eyes shifted to their solid green color. She clamped a hand down on Klaus’ throat and pressed her knee to his chest. 

“Let. Him. Go.” Elaine snarled. Klaus made no move to lessen his restraints and Elaine slammed his head against the dirt. “I said let him go, Klaus. I love you and I consider you family but if you don’t let my lover go I will squeeze the air from your lungs. I really don’t want to do that. Let him go. Now.”

Klaus looked at her with such hostility but the shadows slid from Sebastian’s arms and legs slowly. Elaine relaxed her body and took a deep breath when she saw Sebastian was free. Sebastian was already taking up a defensive stance behind her. He didn’t know Klaus, and Elaine was dangerously close to an angry archangel. If Klaus made a move at her Sebastian would take him down. 

“Now, you are going to listen to us. Do you understand me?” Elaine hissed. 

“Are you alright?” Klaus rubbed his neck when she released her grip on him. Elaine kept her knee crammed against his chest for safe measure.

Her gaze softened at his words and she nodded. “I’m fine and so is Liz. Listen, things aren’t as they seem and I need you to hear what Sebastian and I have to say. Please.”

“Where is she?” Klaus asked. Elaine felt the fight begin to build in his body again and she forced him back down to the ground. Klaus glared at her and she returned the angry look.

“Liz is nearby. I didn’t want her around before I got the situation contained just in case Sebastian and I had to fight you. If you promise to listen then I’ll call her.” 

Klaus thought about his options for a moment as he took in Elaine and Sebastian in front of him. He didn’t want to hurt Elaine and she would defend Sebastian. He didn’t understand why, but unless he wanted to hurt the woman he considered his sister then he couldn’t touch the other archangel. “Fine.”

Elaine raised her head and whistled softly. She knew it was enough for Liz to hear with her new advanced hearing. She waited a moment and the sound of footsteps could be heard nearby. She removed her hold on Klaus at the same time that Liz entered the clearing. 

Klaus brushed himself off and froze when he saw Liz. Elaine saw the confusion cross his features for a moment as he took in the wings at her back. They glittered in the sunlight and the silver hue of them cast a rainbow of colors on the grass beneath Liz. 

A relieved cry escaped from Liz and she broke out into a run towards him. Klaus found himself moving forward, gravitating towards her. Liz slammed into him and almost knocked him off of his feet. He wasn’t expecting the immortal strength she suddenly possessed and Liz threw her arms around his neck as she buried her face against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and had to readjust when he remembered there were now wings in the way. How on earth did she even have wings? He tightened his hold on her and pulled her against him. His hands roamed her lower back and sides. He just wanted to make sure she was in one piece and couldn’t stop touching her. He heard her take a ragged breath and he realized then that she had started to cry. All the stress of the past week, the ambush by the demons, her transformation, and her worry for Klaus and the others came to a climax. She hated that she was crying but she figured she was well overdue for a little panic.

“It’s alright, Liz. I’ve got you.” 

He picked her up easily with one arm and held her close to him as he turned to Sebastian and Elaine. He could feel Liz’s tears against his neck where she had buried her head. Klaus’ eyes were shifting back to their black color and at the moment Liz was the only thing keeping him from lashing out again.

“Someone needs to tell me what’s going on, right now.” He growled through clenched teeth.

* * *

 

Sebastian, Elaine, and Liz sat on the grass while they all watched Klaus pace back and forth. Liz was leaning against Elaine’s shoulder and Sebastian was tense next to them. He was still uncomfortable with the entire situation and Liz couldn’t blame him. It must be hard to face a brother that he didn’t even know existed until last night.

Between the three of them, they had told Klaus everything. About Liz and Elaine being taken by Sebastian, about what the book contained and what the seraphim wanted to do with it, about Liz being changed into an angel, and then Sebastian breaking free of his confinement when the seraphim had hurt Elaine. How Liz had seen Adastros while Sebastian was interrogating the seraphim. Then Elaine and Sebastian told him all about what had happened during the war and what ultimately led to Sebastian's possession. After that, they told him about Adastros’ plan to leash the archangels powers and subdue them. 

Klaus ran his hand through his hair roughly and finally turned to the group. “Is that all?”

“That’s the important bits.” Sebastian rubbed his temples in agitation.

“Are you susceptible to possession again? Adastros got into your head once he can do it again.” Klaus asked.

“We’re all open for possession, Nikolaus. He’s a god he can take what he wants. No one’s mind is going to hold up to his. Well, maybe Elaine’s, but everyone else has the potential to be taken over.” Sebastian answered. “This isn’t like demon possession. He doesn’t have to have a bargain in order to possess.”

“He takes what he wants,” Sebastian repeated that phrase again and for the first time, Klaus actually wondered about what his brother and the older angels went through at the hands of the gods.

“What was your plan? Were you just going to go find this temple on your own and take Adastros by yourself?” Klaus asked.

“I couldn’t trust anyone. That was the initial plan, at least until I could find its location and alert the other archangels.” Sebastian glared at him.

“Of all the stupid, arrogant, ridiculous plans,” Klaus muttered to himself and Sebastian snarled at him.

“Enough,” Elaine snapped at both of them. “Nikolaus back down, we’re all on the same side now.”

“Are we?” Klaus scoffed. “How are you sure all of this is true? Did you just automatically assume everything he told you wasn’t a lie?”

“Do not talk down to me.” Elaine glared at him. “I checked his mind. I rule in the underworld just as you do. I know that possession is used often as an excuse to get out of punishment. I made sure he was telling the truth. If you don’t believe me then check yourself. In fact, please do look at his soul, the more testimonies the better.”

“I saw Adastros in that clearing the night I became an angel, Klaus. Sebastian is telling the truth it’s time to let go of your grudge.” Liz spoke up. 

She and Klaus locked gazes for what felt like an eternity before he finally took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s take a look at your soul.” He held his hand out and his golden staff appeared in his grasp. He slammed it on the ground in irritation and motioned to Sebastian. “Stand up.”

Sebastian assessed Klaus wearily for a moment and stood to his feet slowly. He approached his brother and placed himself in front of Klaus. “Will you see everything?” Sebastian asked.

“I don’t know. My power grants me the ability to view what I _need_ to see in order to determine placement in the underworld. I don’t know what parts of your life it’ll choose to show me.” Klaus said.

“Then I apologize in advance for what you’ll see,” Sebastian whispered.

Klaus extended his staff and a golden light shot forward. Sebastian arched towards Klaus and took a ragged breath as Klaus’ power delved into his soul. Elaine tensed next to Liz but she made no move to get up. Liz threaded her fingers through Elaine’s and squeezed her hand.

Pictures began to fly through Klaus’ mind as Sebastian’s soul was laid bare in front of him. His childhood, his powers developing, being crowned an archangel, interacting with humans and raising and lowering the sun every day. He was a good archangel and he followed his orders without question. 

Then things began to take a turn. He saw the gods begin to resent the angels and neglect the humans, he saw the punishments that were dealt out to the archangels, seconds, and favorites. He saw Sebastian defending Phaedon, Natalia, Charis, Dina, Isidore, and so many others. The memory of the archangels planning their rebellion and the coup they staged to eject the gods from the capital city stood out brighter than the rest.

Then the war came. The memories here were a jumble of battles, blood, rage, and fear. Sebastian and the other archangels were merciless as they rolled through the heavens and took city after city under their control. The humans were neglected as their gods and the angels battled it out for divine power.

Two of the memories stood out darker than the others, though.

They were the night Ahaz attacked Sebastian's troops and took Elaine along with countless others and the final battle that would be the gods undoing. He saw Sebastian’s confrontation with Adastros and the moment the god possessed him. After that, the memories were hazy or blank because they were no longer Sebastian’s own.

Klaus pulled his powers back, he had seen enough. Sebastian gasped as Klaus ripped his grasp from his soul. He staggered back and growled at the pain. Klaus made his staff disappear and adjusted the gauntlets at his wrist as he processed everything he had seen. Sebastian watched him nervously but he couldn’t read Klaus’ expression.

“Well?” Elaine asked.

“You’re telling the truth.” Klaus ignored her and looked at Sebastian. “I spent all these years hating someone who wasn’t even my brother.”

“I can’t really blame you apparently I was a sadistic asshole.”

“You weren’t, Adastros was.” Klaus rolled his shoulders. He offered Sebastian his palm and the two of them grasped hands. “I have your back and I’ll go to battle for you against the other archangels but I’m going to ask you to do one thing for me. Don’t get near Elias, our youngest brother. I need to talk to him before you have any contact with him and you need to understand that he might not ever want to have contact with you. The things Adastros did to him are not your fault but the memories Elias has associated with you are not good ones. You’re my brother and I’ll stand with you because the things you’ve done weren’t done by your hands, but Elias is my main priority. Stay away from him for now.”

“I understand.” Sebastian swallowed thickly and nodded. He and Klaus stepped apart and Sebastian pulled Elaine to her feet. Liz went over to stand next to Klaus and he wrapped his arm around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her hair and Liz closed her eyes at the touch.

“Let’s go get this over with.” Klaus took a deep breath and smiled at Sebastian. “I would summon your armor if I were you. The reception you’ll receive won’t be a good one. Elaine and I will cover you.”

The four of them began to walk back towards the archangel’s army and Sebastian fidgeted with his weapons. “After what you saw of my soul, where would you put me in the underworld? Paradise or damnation?”

Klaus tilted his head as he thought. He and Liz were walking hand in hand. Liz was swinging their grasped hands between them lightly. The sight made Sebastian smile a little. The couple was such a contrast but they worked well together it seemed. Klaus finally locked eyes with Sebastian but before he could speak Sebastian changed his mind. Maybe it was best not to know where he would end up someday.

“You know what, nevermind.” 

Klaus looked like he was going to protest but instead, he shrugged and turned his attention to Liz. The four of them made their way through the woods and hoped that the conflict ahead of them would be handled with little issue. 


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter is a little stressful but the rest of the chapter is basically just fluff and fun. The angels need to have a little fun before all hell breaks loose.
> 
> Mentions of some mild nudity but no smut. Nothing is too detailed.

The forest was quiet as the four angels made their way to where the archangels were camped out. Liz had drifted to the side away from Sebastian, Elaine, and Klaus. They were discussing strategy and while she should probably be listening, she couldn’t bring herself to focus.

Now that the initial panic of being captured had faded she realized how uncertain she was about her future and her relationship with Klaus. They hadn’t planned on her immortality so soon, their relationship was still so new and they were getting to know each other. Liz was always under the impression that they would have many more years to get comfortable with each other before any talk about her immortality would’ve come up again. Now, here she was a brand new angel and she and Klaus were not only dealing with that but this new threat and Sebastian’s possession. It was the worst possible time for her to change species.

She had no control over it but the worry still ate at her. It would be so easy for him to walk away right now and she didn’t really know if she would be upset with him if he did. 

Liz jumped as an involuntary shiver ran up her spine. She glanced behind her to see Klaus stroking one of her flight feathers. When he noticed that she had caught him he withdrew his hand.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. You have wings.” He smiled when he said the last sentence and Liz returned it timidly. She held her hand out to him and he came to stand next to her. She laced their fingers together and leaned into his side as they walked.

“How do you feel?” Klaus pressed a kiss to her hair and Liz shrugged. She didn’t really know how to answer. If she told him the truth then he might confirm her fears but this doubt was eating at her.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really had time to process everything. I’m just kind of shoving everything to the side. There are more important things to worry about.” 

Her gaze drifted over to where Sebastian and Elaine were walking. Sebastian’s wings were hidden and Elaine was riding piggyback. She was whispering things to him and her arms were draped loosely around his shoulders. Whatever conversation they were having seemed serious. Every once in awhile Liz would see Elaine touch his temple and Sebastian would stiffen. 

“What is she doing?” Liz asked Klaus after a minute. Klaus glanced over at the couple and shrugged.

“Elaine can get into people’s bodies. She’s probably telling him things mentally so they aren’t overheard or she’s building up the shields around his mind to keep others out. Probably both.” Klaus wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I want you to tell me what happened last night when you were taken. Elaine told me the gist a minute ago but I want to hear everything. How did this happen?” 

Klaus gestured to her body. Liz took a deep breath and looked up at him. “We were getting ready to fly out. She heard something and told me to run. It was Sebastian, I mean Adastros, and he managed to get a cuff on her wrist that would dampen her powers. I ran like she told me but he caught me. He got another cuff on her wrist and completely cut off her power. That’s when he put a collar on me that cut off my deal with you.” 

Klaus closed his eyes and Liz could see his jaw stiffen. She wanted to know what he was thinking. “That’s why I couldn’t feel you for several minutes before the bargain was officially broken. Then what?”

“He brought us to the seraphim. They took the book from us and Elaine tried to bargain for my release. They said that I would be useful. If they had me they could convince you to come over to their side with your legions of demons.”

Klaus snorted and shook his head. “Idiots. I would never help them.”

“That’s what I told them,” Liz said. Her lips twitched as she fought a smile. “If I’m ever captured please promise me that you would never ever bargain with the enemy if it meant harming the angels or the earth.”

“I promise. I love you but I’m not about to damn the entire cosmos just to get you back.” 

Liz sighed in relief and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Good answer. After that, they said that they wanted to become angels so they could get rid of their decaying bodies. They didn’t know if the spell in the book would work so they tested it on me. Elaine tried to fight for me but she had no weapons and no powers. They hurt her bad, Klaus. The only reason we got out of there was because Sebastian broke his possession and laid waste to them. If he hadn’t then she would be gone, either dead or with Ahaz. They wanted to cut her wings off.” 

A growl rumbled in Klaus’ chest and he glanced over at Elaine again. “If Sebastian doesn’t kill Ahaz first then I hope I’m the one to do it. The seraphim have taken so much from her. I’m glad they didn’t get her wings too. What do you think about Sebastian?”

“I’ve only known him a few hours.” Liz shrugged again. The gesture was safe and noncommittal. “He’s quiet and very observing. He’s cocky, he’s powerful and he knows it. He seems to love Elaine endlessly and he really only softens when he’s talking to her. I did get a smile out of him, though. He seems to be handling all of this really well which is good because of the fight ahead of us but-”

“-you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Klaus finished for her.

“Exactly. He was possessed for 3,000 years. I can’t imagine what that does to a person. Elaine knows him the best and she doesn’t seem worried. I’m sure he’ll confide in her if he needs something.”

“You’re taking things well, too.” Klaus looked down at her and Liz could see the worry in his gaze.

“I don’t have time to dwell on things right now. When we get back to the underworld then I’ll deal with my species change and impending immortality. We also knew that becoming an angel was a possible direction my future could take. So, I’m not completely blindsided by it. It’s sooner than I expected, though.” Liz admitted. 

Klaus opened his mouth to say something when a whistling sound echoed through the trees. Sebastian dropped Elaine to her feet in one fluid motion and caught something out of the air. When he lowered his hand from in front of his body a hatchet was in his grasp. He dropped it to the ground and smiled before catching another ax right before it hit his face. He sniffed the air and shook his head in exasperation at something.

Two arrows followed and he caught them both before snapping them in half. “Come now Natalia, I taught you better than that,” Sebastian called through the trees and his smile widened. “Did you really think that trick would work on me? You can’t sneak up on me I know all your methods, they’re mine after all.”

Sebastian tilted his head as he listened to the forest around them. Liz could hear a faint rustling in the trees to their right and everyone turned to look in that direction. Something dropped from the tree and then suddenly Sebastian was sprawled out on his back in the dirt. A woman was on top of him and snapping her fangs just inches from his throat. She looked murderous but Sebastian just smiled up at her.

Liz had never seen her before. Sebastian had called her Natalia and Liz watched her curiously. She was tall and curvaceous with long slender limbs. Her brown curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her dark skin glowed like embers. Liz could see flames at her fingertips but she had yet to touch Sebastian with them. Her eyes were the color of molten chocolate and they burned with rage as she growled at Sebastian. Black feathered wings spread from her back and they twitched in agitation.

“Why isn’t the bastard in chains, Nikolaus?” Natalia growled.

“I have my reasons. Why don’t you get off of him and I’ll tell you.” Klaus replied. Natalia laughed bitterly and glanced up at him and Elaine. 

“Since when do either of you care? I expected you to end him the minute you saw him.” Natalia said. She placed her hand on Sebastian’s chest and he winced at the fire on her palm.

“Natalia, back off,” Elaine hissed. She raised her hand towards the angel and it began to glow.

“Elaine, if you use your power on her then I’ll put an arrow in you.” Another voice spoke from the woods and an angel walked into the clearing. Liz had never seen him before either. His posture and expression were relaxed as he assessed the situation in the clearing. The first thing Liz noticed was his size. He was taller than all of them and the bow he held in his hand was sturdy. The person using it had to be strong and sure enough chorded muscles rippled along his arm as he pulled the weapon taut. He was solid and bulky but he moved with experienced grace. His red hair was long and was held back by a single braid down his back. His wings were a rustic burnt orange color that made Liz think of fall leaves. He almost reminded Liz of Vincent but he would probably even make the demon seem small in comparison.

“I’m fine Elaine,” Sebastian said shortly. He tilted his head as he looked at the angel on top of him.

“Let’s all calm down.” Klaus rolled his eyes. His posture was at ease but Liz noticed that he had stepped in front of her slightly in order to shield her if things got ugly. 

“Sebastian is alive and unharmed because he hasn’t done anything,” Klaus said.

Natalia’s head shot up and she glared at him. “Excuse me? Did he not just kidnap your lover and your second in command and try to turn them over to the seraphim?”

“I didn’t,” Sebastian said defiantly. Natalia’s attention went back to him and she pressed her palm harder against his chest. Sebastian bared his fangs at her but still made no move to get her off of him. “Ouch, that hurts” He hissed through his clenched teeth.

“Sebastian was possessed. I thought he captured them but he didn’t. Adastros is still alive, Natalia. he’s been possessing Sebastian for the last few thousand years. He was going to turn Elaine over to the seraphim. Luckily Sebastian broke his possession and stopped that from happening. He didn’t do anything to Liz or Elaine. Adastros did.” Klaus stepped towards her.

“What?” Natalia’s eyes widened and Liz saw all the fight leave her body. She stared off into the trees ahead of them and Liz noticed that she began to shake. 

“It’s alright,” Sebastian spoke quietly. “You know Isidore isn’t going to let him near you.”

The angel with the red hair lowered his bow and a votum made of iron flickered into existence around his neck. He touched it and it glowed faintly. “Isidore I need you here, now. Bring the other archangels with you.” He released his votum and looked up at Elaine and Klaus. “Do you have proof?”

“We do.” Klaus nodded. 

The red haired angel nodded and walked towards Natalia and Sebastian. He bent down and whispered something in her ear and gently moved her off of Sebastian. Sebastian sat up and winced as he inspected the burn on his chest. He hadn’t been wearing armor and Natalia had burned through his cotton shirt. 

Natalia seemed to come back to herself as she stood and suddenly she threw her arms around Sebastian. She buried her face against his neck and Sebastian blinked in surprise. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and returning the embrace.

“I’m so sorry.” Liz heard Natalia whisper. “I should’ve known. I should’ve known it wasn’t you.” 

Klaus grabbed Liz’s arm and pulled her a few feet away from everyone. “Stay close until we get everything worked out, please.”

Liz nodded and gestured to the four other angels. “Who are Natalia and the other angel?”

“Natalia teaches all of the young angels in combat. She teaches us how to fight and use our weapons. When we pass our combat training she’s who we have to impress. You should see her wield a sword and shield it’s amazing. Sebastian taught her when she was young. They used to be very close friends but I think Adastros did his best to isolate Sebastian from everyone. The other angel is Khryses. He’s a general in our army and he’s one of our best fighters. Natalia, Khryses, and Isidore are married.”

“I’ve never seen them at meetings. Wouldn’t one of them be his second in command?”

“Our second in command is just whoever we trust the most. Natalia and Khryses aren’t on the council. Isidore would probably prefer it if they were but they don’t want anything to do with politics. They would rather spend their time training. Isidore’s second is named Emond.” Klaus shrugged. 

He surveyed Liz and she saw that flash of worry enter his gaze again as he looked her over. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Liz whispered. She could hear how unconvincing her answer was but she didn’t want to discuss this, not right now.

Suddenly the earth shook and Klaus took a deep breath as his gaze left hers. He ran his hand through his hair roughly in agitation. “Here we go.” He reached out and grasped Liz’s hand and they stepped towards the group again. The archangels and their seconds appeared in a flash of light and Klaus pulled Liz closer to him.

“What’s wrong?” Isidore stormed through the crowd of archangels and Natalia rushed over to him. She grasped the side of his neck and stood up on her tiptoes so she could whisper in his ear. Liz had no idea what she was saying but her movements were frantic. 

Sebastian stood to his feet and snarls echoed through the crowd of angels. Moira stepped forward and bared her fangs. “Elaine or Klaus, do one of you want to tell us what is going on? Why is Sebastian not restrained?”

“I’m out of patience.” Elaine murmured under her breath. She raised her hand towards the crowd of archangels and their seconds. At once they stiffened and Elaine stepped towards them.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian demanded.

“I’m projecting everything that has happened the last twelve hours into their minds all at once so we don’t have to tell this story again and we can get everything out there in the open as fast as possible. I’m done explaining things.” Elaine replied. “They need to know what kind of threat Adastros poses.”

Minutes passed in silence until finally, Elaine lowered her hand. Everyone let out a shuddering breath and a few archangels growled at her.

“My mind is not a playground Elaine.” Isidore hissed. “Don’t do that again.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t make it a habit of invading your bodies and your privacy but that seemed like the easiest path to take.” Elaine inspected her nails and shrugged at them.

Moira turned to Klaus. “What are your thoughts on all of this? Is he telling the truth?”

“He is. I looked at his soul. I saw Adastros’ possession. Sebastian has been trapped in his own mind for thousands of years. He doesn’t deserve our anger Adastros and the seraphim do.” Klaus said.

The archangels glanced at one another and nodded in agreement. Sebastian sighed in relief and Elaine buried her head against his shoulder. 

“What is Adastros planning exactly?” Moira asked.

“From what we gathered from the seraphim we interrogated, there is a temple dedicated to the archangels somewhere in the north,” Elaine said. A few of the older archangels nodded in agreement and she continued. “Adastros has a spell that if performed in this temple will leash the archangels powers. They won’t be able to kill the seraphim and any fighting chance we had against him would be gone.”

“So we need to make sure he doesn’t reach that temple,” Theodora spoke up. Murmurs of agreement echoed through the crowd.

Isidore stepped forward and grasped Sebastian’s hand in his. “You’re welcome at camp. We’ve been traveling fast since last night and we’re all a little tired. Let’s take the rest of the day to relax and then we’ll be on our way in the morning. How close do you think Adastros is to finding that temple he needs to perform that spell? Is he capable of leashing our powers?” Isidore asked Sebastian.

“The temple is well hidden and there are shields in place around it to protect It. It will take him a long time to find it, I would think. We should be fine to camp tonight. Yes, he is capable and if he succeeds I don’t know how we’ll stop him.” Sebastian said.

“Well, then we won’t let him succeed.” Isidore nodded.

Phaedon pushed through the crowd and came to stand in front of Sebastian. He looked him over and the worry in his gaze was evident. The two of them gazed at each other for a moment before Sebastian held his hand out to Phaedon. Phaedon batted it away and pulled Sebastian into a hug and gently pushed Elaine away. Elaine rolled her eyes at him but let him move her. 

“You’ve been an unbearable asshole the last few thousand years and I’m so glad that it wasn’t actually you.” Phaedon murmured against Sebastian’s shoulder. 

Sebastian laughed and tightened his arms around Phaedon. “I’ve missed you.”

Phaedon cleared his throat and pulled away. “I don’t really know what to say. I’m just glad you’re physically okay and I’m glad that you didn’t actually harm Elaine or Liz. I would hate for Klaus to have killed you.”

Klaus sighed next to Liz and Phaedon winked at him. “Are you all alright? Does anyone need medical attention?”

Elaine winced and Sebastian looked down at her. “I think Elaine has been masking her pain. Her back needs to be looked at.”

“I thought I was doing a good job at hiding it.” Elaine let out a breathless laugh. “I need some cuts treated and I need someone to look at the base of my wings and make sure they aren’t damaged. I’m pretty sure I managed to keep them hidden when the seraphim were hurting me but I don’t remember.”

“I’ll take a look at them.” Theodora stepped forward. “Come with me to my tent.”

Sebastian turned to follow her but Elaine walked up to Klaus. “Liz needs a preening. She’s got some flight feathers on her wing that are bent. If you steam them they should straighten out. Be careful not to burn her, though. Make sure she’s okay. She’s been quiet most of the day.” 

“I’ll take care of her.” Klaus nodded. He watched Elaine walk away and looked around for Liz. She was standing off to the side and Klaus frowned as he watched her. She looked like she was deep in thought and she didn’t look happy. Klaus took a deep breath and walked over to her. 

“Come with me.” He held his hand out to her and Liz took it hesitantly. They vanished in a puff of smoke and Klaus pulled Liz close as they teleported away from everyone. He knew there was a stream nearby and he could use it to help her. 

When the world righted itself again the noise of camp was far off in the distance. Birds chirped softly and the forest was quiet around them. It was the first time Klaus had felt any sort of relief the last twenty-four hours. Liz stepped away from him and walked towards the stream. Her wings glittered like silver in the sunlight and Klaus found himself staring at them. He watched as she dipped her hand in the water and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“What are we doing here?”

“I need to clean your feathers and we need to talk. Somethings on your mind but you keep shutting me down. Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Klaus snapped his fingers and his armor vanished. A casual pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt appeared on his body instead. He rolled his sleeves up and tilted his head as he watched her. 

Liz turned away from him and crossed her legs as she sat on the bank of the stream. “There’s nothing to discuss. I told you that we have more important things to deal with right now.” 

“No,” Klaus shook his head and walked to the water. “You are important to me and something is bothering you. I want you to tell me what it is. Please, Liz. I love you, I’ll always be here for you to talk to.” 

Klaus dipped his hand in the water and Liz saw a blue flame flicker to life around his hand. The water heated rapidly and he withdrew his hand. A bowl appeared next to him and he dipped it into the water. Steam wafted thickly from the bowl and Klaus placed it near her back. He ran his fingers through her feathers slowly and pulled them away from her body gently so he could place his palm against the skin of her wing. He moved the bowl over so it was under her wing and Liz winced as she waited for the heat of the steam to hit her back.

She didn’t feel the heat though and her body slowly relaxed. Klaus’ hand was acting as a barrier between her skin and the heat of the water. He gently worked his hands and fingers through her feathers and Liz felt the irritation in her wings vanish as her feathers straightened. The stress in her back immediately unfurled and her head fell back as Klaus preened her feathers.

“Talk to me,” Klaus said.

Liz squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “You lost a bargain.”

The silence stretched between them and finally, she heard Klaus let out a low laugh. “Is that what has you so upset?”

“One of the things,” Liz answered quietly.

She heard Klaus sigh and he held out his hand. A grooming brush appeared in his grasp and he began to smooth out her feathers. “Liz, I thought I made it clear the last few weeks that I had no interest in our bargain. I would collect your soul when you died because I didn’t have a choice but I didn’t really care if the bargain was there or not. I’m not upset that our deal was broken. It was something standing in between us and happiness and now it’s gone.” 

“You aren’t mad?”

“No. Not at all. I can make other bargains and collect other souls. Since we started a relationship the bargain has been nothing but a hindrance.” Klaus replied. He pressed a kiss to her neck and Liz stiffened. “Is that all that has you worried?”

“No,” Liz fidgeted and pulled away from him so she could turn to face him. She plucked the brush from his hands and sat it down before lacing her fingers with his. “I thought we had more time before I became an angel and I don’t want either of us to feel pressured into a future together now that I’m immortal.”

Klaus blinked at her for a second and then smiled. “It’s not like I’m going to slap a votum on you tomorrow just because you’re an angel. I’ve had time to experience my immortality. I know that you are my future but you’re still figuring things out. I don’t want you to feel like I’m tying you down who knows in ten, twenty, one hundred years you might decide that you don’t want to be with me. Forever is a long time and I want you to be sure that you want a commitment with me. We can wait hundreds or thousands of years before we decide to get married. We could never get married for all I care. I just want to be with you. That’s enough for me and I hope it’s enough for you. We won’t take the next step until you are certain that you want to spend eternity with me.”

Klaus leaned forward and Liz’s breath hitched at his proximity. He kissed her softly and Liz reached up to run her fingers through his hair. She deepened the kiss and opened her mouth to him. They kissed lazily for several minutes before Klaus pulled away breathless.

“I love you,” Liz whispered.

“I love you too. Is that all you wanted to say?” Klaus stood to his feet and held his hand out to her. He pulled her up and Liz wrapped her arms around his waist. She placed her chin against his chest so she could peer up at him.

“One more thing, and then I want to go back to camp and sleep a little before the camp packs up to move on. I’m exhausted.” She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him and Klaus picked her up. Liz squeaked at the suddenness of it and smiled against his lips. She curled herself against him and laid her head against his chest. 

“I want to continue school. I want to go to the academy during the day and learn magic and then when my day is over I will come home to you in the underworld. I want to keep my home in the village and visit during the summer. At least until people begin to realize I’m not aging. There are aspects of my human life I’m not ready to give up just yet.” 

She glanced up at him and Klaus nodded. “Okay. We’ll fine tune some things and make some arrangements when we get back but I don’t think any of that is unreasonable. I want you to be my second in command. Is that something you would want to do?”

“What about Elaine?”

“She needs to be in the heavens with Sebastian, at least for now. He’s going to be dealing with a lot and he needs her beside him. It’s ultimately their decision but I’m going to make sure she doesn’t feel obligated to me.”

“I’m inexperienced. I know nothing about running an entire realm. I don’t even know how to be an angel. How do I hide my wings and make things appear and disappear like you all do all the time? There are so many things I have to learn.”

“And you have an eternity to learn them.” Klaus pointed out. “Come on, let’s worry about that when we get back. For now, I think we both deserve a few hours of rest.” Klaus smiled

Liz nuzzled his neck and sighed. “That is a plan I like.”

Klaus laughed and tightened his arms around her as he walked them back towards camp.

* * *

When Liz woke up it was dark outside and she had no idea how much time had passed. Someone was shaking her shoulder and she buried her head under her pillow. She waved her arm blindly towards the person trying to wake her up and tried to shove them away. 

The light in the tent she was sharing with Klaus was muted and she just wanted to go back to sleep. She was warm and comfortable on the pile of blankets and pillows she had submerged herself in. Whoever was bothering her needed to go away. She snuggled closer to Klaus’ warmth and ignored the intruder.

She heard laughter and Phaedon’s voice next to her. “Get up both of you.”

Klaus said something to him in the angel’s language and Phaedon laughed again. “That wasn’t very nice, Nikolaus. Come on, the archangels decided that we’re going to have races tonight and if you’re going to participate you need to come get painted.”

“I’m on my way. Get out.” Klaus ordered and he hurled a pillow at Phaedon’s head. Phaedon caught it out of the air and smiled at them before retreating out of the tent. 

“He took my pillow,” Klaus grumbled as he sat up. 

“What’s going on?” Liz yawned.

Klaus stretched and rubbed his neck. “It looks like we’re having flying races tonight. That’s good, we all need a little bit of fun before the fight ahead of us.” 

He got up from their warm pallet on the floor and stretched his arms above his head. His wings appeared from his back and unfolded as he extended them.

“You aren’t molting anymore,” Liz noted. New silky black feathers covered his wings and they shimmered in the low lamplight.

“No, stress molting is fast which is good. I don’t want to be completely useless the next few days. Come on let’s go, there are some preparations I need to do before the race.” Klaus held his hand out to her and pulled Liz to her feet.

“Phaedon mentioned getting painted?” Liz tilted her head at him. She reached up and smoothed his hair out of his face. Klaus leaned down and kissed her gently. Liz’s grip on his arm tightened and she sighed into the kiss. When Klaus pulled away he placed his forehead against hers and smiled.

“When we race we get painted so that it makes it easier for people to tell us apart and because it’s fun. It’s just a tradition that we have. Also, since it’s nighttime the paint will glow in the dark. Everyone gets their backs, wings, and torso’s painted before a race. You’re about to see a lot of bare chests.” Klaus smiled down at her.

“I don’t think I’m terribly upset about that. Although, I will probably blush the entire time.” Liz shrugged and Klaus laughed.

“How are you feeling?” Klaus asked.

“I feel better.” Liz sighed. “I had a preening, a bath, a nap, and I have on clean clothes. I’m with you, and after last night I wasn’t sure if I would see you again.”

She trailed off and Klaus paused his movements to glance at her. He reached out and stroked her cheek and Liz leaned into the touch. “I would’ve come for you,” Klaus spoke quietly. “I would’ve wiped them out to get you and Elaine back.”

“I know.” Liz pressed a kiss to his palm. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m safe, she’s safe and all our other problems are put off until tomorrow. Let’s go enjoy ourselves.” 

Klaus led her out of the tent and the camp was a flurry of activity. Angels were taking to the air and Liz looked up at the sky as she watched them.

“I’ll start teaching you to fly when we get back to the underworld,”

Liz smiled and bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m really excited to learn. Whenever we go to the heavens I won’t have to be carried anymore.” 

Klaus reached out and stroked one of her wings. “Your wings are beautiful.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her wing and Liz shivered. 

“When we’re alone you need to kiss me there again,” Liz smirked at him and Klaus’ eyes darkened as he gazed at her. He pulled her against him suddenly causing Liz to giggle. She danced out of his arms and Klaus shook his head in exasperation.

Vincent and Amelia approached them and Amelia threw her arms around Liz. She hugged her friend tightly and Liz returned the embrace. Liz buried her face against Amelia’s shoulder, she smelled like the underworld.

“You scared me to death,” Amelia whispered. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“You’re the grim reaper, Amelia. I can’t scare you to death.” Liz said. Vincent snorted behind her and Liz smiled at him. 

“Can you fly us up to the starting point too? We want to watch.” Vincent asked Klaus.

“Sure.” Klaus released Liz’s hand and grabbed Amelia around the waist. “Hold on.”

He shot into the air and Liz heard Amelia swear loudly at the brisk takeoff. Vincent shook his head as he watched them go. He wrapped his arm around Liz’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Hopefully he doesn’t do any barrel rolls or anything. She’ll kill him if he does. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” Liz grinned. “Where are Randy and Elias?”

“Klaus sent them to the academy this morning to check on the shields around the school and to take Luca back. It worked out well since all this stuff with Sebastian came to light. Elias should get back in the morning and Klaus will intercept him before he enters camp so he can talk to him.”

“Wait! It’s Monday. I missed school.” Liz groaned and Vincent blinked at her in disbelief before bursting into laughter.

“You’re really worried about school right now?”

“I had a test today!” Liz threw her hands up in the air.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. I think getting kidnapped and getting turned into an angel is a good excuse. Once you learn how to hide your wings you can go back to class. Randolph is not going to care.” Vincent said.

Klaus and Spyridon materialized next to them suddenly and Vincent jumped in surprise. He placed a hand over his heart in mock surprise and it made Liz roll her eyes. “I hate it when you do that.” 

Klaus shrugged and Spyridon approached Liz. He smiled warmly and held his hand out for her. He looked her over before giving her a gentle hug. “Well look at you. Your wings are lovely, Liz. Shall we?”

Liz nodded enthusiastically and stepped up to him. Spyridon picked her up and took to the sky. His wings beat against the air as he took them higher and higher. Liz tried to keep her wings folded close to her body but she didn’t know if she was succeeding or not. She hadn’t quite worked out the movements of them yet. 

Liz glanced over Spyridon’s shoulder and saw the moment Klaus broke through the clouds with Vincent. She laughed loudly as she took in Vincent’s expression. His eyes were squeezed shut and his posture was tense. His claws were digging into Klaus’ shoulder and Klaus was glaring at him.

“How are you doing Vincent?” Liz called.

“I’m a demon I belong on the ground or in the underworld. I was not meant to fly!” Vincent yelled back at her. 

Klaus rolled his eyes at Vincent’s words and Liz heard Spyridon laugh next to her ear. When they were far enough up in the air he set Liz down on a cloud and Klaus dumped Vincent unceremoniously next to her. Vincent took an involuntary step towards Liz in order to put some distance between himself and the edge of the cloud.

“Are you afraid of heights?”

“Not normally, no, but I’ve never been up in the sky. It’s just new, I’ll get used to it.” Vincent shrugged and spied Amelia several feet away. He walked off towards his wife and waved to Liz over his shoulder. “I’m going to go relax and watch the angels race. Go have fun.” 

She turned and saw Klaus and Spyridon walking towards a set of chairs. Liz followed them and looked around curiously. Everyone was in high spirits despite the threat looming on the horizon. Lanterns floated around the area and illuminated the massive cloud. Hundreds of angels lounged against the cloud and laughter drifted through the air. There were about one hundred angels covered in paint standing near the edge of the cloud. The designs on each body were absolutely gorgeous. 

Phaedon had blue lines running up his back and down his arms and chest. They were in different hues of blue that matched the feathers on his wings. Liz was anxious to see what the paint looked like when he was out of the light of the lanterns. Klaus had mentioned that it glowed. With all the colors of paint being worn, the sight of the angels taking flight would be a wonderful thing to see.

Isidore’s torso and arms were covered in bright red flames that seemed to dance when he moved. Theodora’s paint was red as well but her’s was a deeper wine color. Her hair was styled in a single braid down her back and her stomach, back, and arms were decorated with perfect red circles. Liz had never realized how beautiful the goddess of life was but Theodora was stunning. The paint accented her curves nicely.

Sebastian was next to Phaedon and Elaine was standing next to him. Sebastian’s paint was perfect for his position and matched his wings beautifully. Intricate golden swirls climbed up his back and arms. They curled around the bands on his arms and continued over his shoulders and down his chest. Swirls ran up his neck and a few of them traced the various scars on his torso and neck. 

Elaine’s paint was green. Vines twisted around her wings and arms and tiny black flowers peppered her back and chest. She and Sebastian were talking quietly and he was laughing loudly at something she was saying. Liz smiled at the sight it was good to see him laugh. 

Liz followed Klaus over to a sitting area. Daphne and Charis, the god of art, were standing at a table littered with various brushes and paints. Daphne’s hair, arms, clothing, and hands were covered in paint. She had a paintbrush between her teeth and one behind her ear as she leaned over Spyridon’s back. She was painting different sized green and gold circles down his spine and Liz watched her steady brushstrokes. Daphne glanced up when she saw Liz and she gave her a small smile before turning her attention back to Spyridon.  

Klaus sat down in front of Charis and the other archangel started working on him. Liz hadn’t talked to Charis really at all he was always quiet at the few meetings she had been to. She knew he was around Phaedon and Sebastian’s age. He had brown curly hair and intelligent piercing blue eyes. His hair was unkept and wild and had bits of blue paint speckled through it like he had been running his hand through it. He was unshaven and rumpled but completely relaxed. He seemed to have a very calm temperament.

He noticed Liz and smiled kindly at her while he painted Klaus’ back. “Am I painting you next?” His warm voice drifted over to Liz and she shook her head.

“No, I can’t fly yet so I won’t be racing.” 

“Doesn’t matter I can still paint you.” Charis shrugged. “And when we learn to fly our instructors usually just shove us off the cloud and hope for the best. So, you could learn to fly right now.” He gestured to her with his brush and Liz snorted.

“I don’t think so.” She turned her attention to Klaus. “And if you push me off any high surface I will not be happy with you.”

“I value my existence a little too much to try that on you, Liz,” Klaus smirked at her and Liz wasn’t sure if she believed him.

Charis shook his head and walked around Klaus’ chair so he could start on the front of him. He was using silver paint and it almost looked like smoke and flames were wafting up across Klaus’ back and chest. The painting was incredibly detailed and beautiful. Liz would love to see what Charis could do on an actual canvas. 

Several minutes passed in silence as Daphne and Charis worked. When they finally finished, both angels torsos were covered in some of the most beautiful artwork Liz had ever seen. Liz hated to admit it but Klaus looked a little more intimidating with it on. The flames painted on him licked at his biceps and neck and stretched across his black wings. His eyes shifted to their glossy black color and he looked every bit the god of the underworld. 

He wrapped his arm around Liz as he walked towards the other angels waiting to take off. “Wish me luck?”

Liz was careful not to touch his body with hers as she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Destroy them.”

Klaus laughed and kissed her again. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. The races don’t last long and there are several eliminations before the final one.”

Liz watched him go to the edge and stand next to Natalia. Moira stepped to the center of the cloud and raised her hand. A golden light erupted from her hand and everyone’s attention turned to the scribe.

“Alright, you all know the rules. No use of powers, no use of claws, fangs, or weapons. Referees will be watching to make sure you don’t sabotage other fliers. _Isidore.”_ She gave the god of war a pointed look and Isidore shrugged. Laughter bubbled up from the onlookers and Moira smiled. “On your mark, get set,”

All the angles readied themselves and all the lanterns around the cloud dimmed to so almost no light was coming out of them. The paint on the participants glowed and Liz definitely understood the need for it now. Without the paint, it would be hard to even see the race let alone determine who would win. Wings spread to their full length and Moira raised her hand to the sky again. Another pulse of light shot from her palm and the angels took off with a loud boom. 

Moira walked over to where Karina was sitting and she settled between her wife’s legs. She reclined against Karina and the archangel pressed a kiss to Moira’s hair. Daphne and Charis were next to them along with Vincent and Amelia. Liz wandered over to them and sat down next to Amelia to watch.

“Isidore is in first,” Moira commented. Liz was having trouble following everyone’s movements but she could see Isidore out in front.

“He won’t stay there,” Karina said. “He always starts out in front and then falls back when his stamina goes down.”

Sure enough, Isidore began to fall back and Phaedon and Theodora took the lead. The group rounded a large cloud and disappeared from sight. A minute later a flash of lightning cracked across the sky. Moira sighed in exasperation and raised her head.

“No powers.” Her voice echoed across the sky and Liz smiled to herself. 

“Who was that?” Vincent wondered.

“Lightning is Sebastian,” Moira replied. She shook her head. “I’m surprised he’s racing after everything he’s been through.”

“Everyone needs a little fun,” Amelia said.

The angels came into sight again and Liz smiled when she saw Klaus, Sebastian, and Theodora fighting for control of the lead. The angels began to cheer as they got closer.

Theodora touched down on the cloud first, Klaus second, and Sebastian third. The three of them were breathing hard and Theodora leaned against Klaus as she struggled to catch her breath. 

“Theodora wins the first round. The last fifty angels to touch down get eliminated.” Moira declared.

The angels filtered in over the next two minutes until all the racers were accounted for. Moira took note of the top ten and crossed out the ones that didn’t make the cut. 

“You get five minutes to rest and then we’ll go again!” 

An hour passed as angels were slowly eliminated bit by bit until ten remained. Elaine, Phaedon, and Isidore had been taken out of the running and the three of them were passed out in front of Liz, Moira, and Karina. Phaedon and Isidore were both snoring softly and the sight made Liz roll her eyes. These were some of the most powerful beings in existence.

Liz couldn’t tell the exact distance that the group had flown but it wasn’t a small amount. It was good that all of them had quick healing and stamina or they would all be hurting tomorrow for sure. 

The final race was getting ready to take place and Theodora, Klaus, Spyridon, and Sebastian had been consistent in staying in the top four. They switched around the order but whoever took this last race would win. Liz was curious to see who would come out on top. 

Moira fired her ball of light into the air and the racers took off for a final time. They had been a little sluggish the last few rounds but now everyone was doing their best to win. Theodora and Sebastian were neck and neck on the way back to the starting line and Elaine nudged Phaedon and Isidore awake so they could all see who would win. 

The two approached the cloud and Theodora pulled ahead at the last second. She slammed into the cloud and Sebastian landed right after her. Theodora’s breathing was harsh and she gave Sebastian a small salute as she caught her breath.

“Nice. Race.” 

He gestured vaguely in response and collapsed next to her. His wings vanished and he rolled onto his back. Elaine ran up and tackled him and kissed him excitedly. He blinked up at her in surprise and let out a breathless laugh. Spyridon landed next followed closely by Klaus. Both angels collapsed to the ground and Liz rushed up to Klaus.

She nudged him with her foot and he growled at her in response. “I got fourth.”

“Fourth out of an initial 100 isn’t bad.” Liz shrugged. Klaus offered her his hand and Liz pulled him to his feet. “Now, you get to fly me back down to the earth too.”

Klaus groaned and Liz giggled as she snuggled into his side. She smeared the paint across his stomach and she frowned. “I’m going to get covered in paint when we take off.”

Klaus smiled at her and Liz narrowed her eyes at him. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her flush against him. She growled at him as silver paint got all over her and her clothes.

“Did you just growl at me?” Klaus pulled away from her and raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked at her.

“What?” Liz blinked up at him and Klaus smiled. He cupped her face gently and a smear of silver paint got on her cheek. “What is it?” 

“Your eyes just turned silver.” Klaus placed his forehead against her.

“What?” 

Klaus held out his hand and a mirror appeared in his grasp. He held it out to Liz and she gasped when she saw that her eyes had shifted to a solid silver color. They were actually very pretty and she peered closer at them. 

“They’re beautiful.” Liz breathed.

“Yes. They are.” Klaus took the mirror from her and kissed her passionately. Their breathing mingled together and Liz leaned against him as he deepened the kiss. It was like he was stealing the breath from her lungs and she tightened her grip on him. When they pulled away their breathing was harsh. 

“Come on. Let’s go back to our tent.” Klaus picked her up and Liz held on as he dove off the edge of the cloud. Liz pressed a kiss to his neck as they plummeted through the night sky. She was hoping the rest of their night would be peaceful since the coming days would be so hard.


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI I have a character page on my tumblr with pictures and bio's for everyone. It's still under construction but if you want to check it out you can get a face to go with the name and look at everyone's relationships. :) http://moonstoneandjasmine.tumblr.com/characters

Liz sighed and stretched her wings to their full length. She had been working on moving them for the past two hours. She would extend one and then the other, she would fold them behind her and flare them out quickly. They were beginning to feel like an extension of herself and not a hindrance. She couldn’t make them disappear yet and that was frustrating. She couldn’t return to school until she could cloak them and she wanted to miss as few days as possible.

Klaus had been working with her on it. The execution was simple enough she was just struggling. In order for her wings to disappear all she had to do was ignore them. She needed to visualize herself without wings in her mind and ignore the weight of them between her shoulders. Then they would vanish. It was so simple but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t ignore this new aspect of her body. She was too excited about them to pretend like they weren’t there. 

Maybe when the luster wore off she would be able to perform the convenient trick. She folded them behind her and looked at all the angels walking around her. There were thousands of them and despite the danger ahead of them, they all seemed in good spirits. 

Klaus was currently with Isidore and Karina discussing battle strategy. The god of war and the goddess of wisdom were responsible for coming up with plans of action. They had dragged Klaus into the discussion just in case they ended up needing him and his legions of demons. That way he would be aware of their plan already and would be able to convey it quickly to his troops. 

Liz didn’t really know any of the angels around her and she suddenly had the urge to see someone familiar. It was easy to feel alone amongst the angels. She didn’t really feel like one of them despite her new body. 

She spotted Daphne riding on a Pegasus a few feet away. Charis was sitting on the beast behind her and he had his back against Daphne’s. He was gesturing at something and Liz chuckled at his exuberance. She made her way over to the two angels to see what they were talking about. As she neared them and overheard their conversation her amusement grew.

“Come on, 20 questions. I bet you can’t guess what I’m thinking about.” Charis was saying. He was leaning back against Daphne and his head was on her shoulder so he could peer up at the sky. Liz saw Daphne take a deep breath and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“No. I can guess what you’re thinking because it’s been the same the last four times we’ve played this game.” 

“Indulge me, I’m bored and as your archangel, you’re responsible for entertaining me,” Charis replied. Daphne snorted and shook her head. Her hair got in Charis’ face and he blew it out of the way with a sputter.

“Nowhere in my job description as your second does it say that I have to entertain you.”

“Well, our oaths say that we have to look out for each other. Since I’m about to die of boredom shouldn’t you try to save me by entertaining me? Please?” Charis asked.

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

An angry snarl ripped through the air and Charis and Daphne turned their attention to the supply wagon next to them. Sebastian popped into view over the edge of the wagon as he sat up. He had been lying on top of some rolled up tents trying to take a nap.

“Listen,” he bared his fangs at Charis and Daphne. Liz hid her smile behind her hand at their shocked expressions. “I don’t know when the last time I slept was. I wasn’t exactly in charge of my body. All I know is that I’m exhausted and I need to catch some shut-eye while we’re on the move.”

“So, either you, I don’t know your name yet-” he gestured vaguely to Daphne. “-need to play with him or Charis needs to shut the hell up. I don’t care which one happens as long as it’s done quietly.” He glared at them one final time before he vanished from sight to lay down again.

“Are you telling me you haven’t missed my incessant yammering the last few thousand years?” Charis asked.

Sebastian’s hand appeared above the edge of the wagon and he flipped the other archangel off. Charis laughed but he lowered his voice and he and Daphne continued to argue in hushed whispers. 

Liz left them to their own devices and looked around some more. She noticed a few of the surrounding angels talking quietly to each other and pointing to Sebastian. Liz frowned as she took in their unkind expressions.

The archangels knew of Sebastian’s innocence because Elaine had shown them. They had welcomed Sebastian among them and had treated him equally since he arrived. The angels, however, were having trouble embracing the archangel. They didn’t know the full story, last they heard Sebastian was a traitor and now he was back without retribution. They wanted him in chains. The archangels had more important things to worry about than proving Sebastian’s innocence and Sebastian wasn’t ready to talk about what had been happening to him the last few thousand years. He had told Elaine to just let the angels think whatever they wanted for now. 

Either Elaine, Natalia, or Phaedon had constantly been hovering around Sebastian to keep the angels away from him. Liz even saw Natalia draw a weapon once when a few of the angels tried to approach him. Sebastian was ignoring all of it but Liz knew that he noticed what was going on. 

The angels around them began to talk a little louder and Liz glared at them all as she approached the supply wagon. They were all taken aback by her withering look and scattered. She knew it wasn’t by her own merit but due to the fact that she was in a relationship with Klaus. She didn’t mind, she would cultivate her own respect in due time. 

She heaved herself up onto the wagon and sat down carefully to avoid sitting on her wings. She folded them behind her neatly but the tips of her flight feathers sprawled across the floor of the wagon. Her feet dangled off the edge and she kicked them absentmindedly. She looked up at the sky and watched the clouds pass as the pegasus pulled them along. Daphne and Charis had ventured off somewhere else and it was quiet.

“Despite what Elaine, Phaedon, and Natalia feel, I don’t need a babysitter,” Sebastian spoke up from where he was sprawled out.

“I’m not here to watch you my feet just got tired so I thought I would hitch a ride.” Liz shrugged.

She heard Sebastian huff out a laugh. He sighed as he sat up and moved to sit next to her. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“No, I’m telling the truth. Partly.” Liz grinned. “I’m not watching you but my feet aren’t tired. The angels were talking about you so I moved over here to discourage them from actually coming up and starting something with you. People are apparently very intimidated by me just because I’m with Klaus.”

“Yes, I don’t think they would be very scared of a cute, short, girl who was just a human twenty-four hours ago. The possibility of pissing off the god of the underworld, though, that is a little scary.” Sebastian deadpanned.

“Size and cuteness have nothing to do with intimidation. I could be intimidating. Look at Elaine, she’s small and gorgeous and she’s terrifying when she wants to be.” 

“Good point.” Sebastian laughed. 

“I didn’t sit down here so you would feel obligated to talk to me. I just wanted to be a buffer. You can go to sleep.” Liz said.

Sebastian shrugged and tried to glance at her out of the corner of his gaze. He growled in annoyance and Liz realized she was sitting on his left side. He turned his head fully towards her so he could see and rubbed at his eyes.

“Does it bother you? Can you see out of it at all?” Liz whispered.

“It doesn’t hurt or anything. It’s long healed, at least as much as it was able to. It’s just hard going from full vision to one eye. I keep getting headaches but I have a feeling they’ll go away when I get a little more accustomed to my vision. It’s just irritating because I keep forgetting about it. I’ve been afraid to look in a mirror. I wouldn’t call myself vain but it’s been so long since I’ve actually seen myself and now when I look, I’m going to be completely different. Not to mention, I’ll look older than what I remember. It’s been thousands of years. Our aging basically slows to a nonexistent crawl after our bodies hit adulthood but a few millennia will show me a slight difference. It’s upsetting that I’ve lost all this time.”

He ruffled his messy hair and sighed. “Elaine and I were only married a hundred years whenever I got possessed. She’s had all this time in a marriage and I haven’t. I have no idea how Adastros treated her, we haven’t had a chance to really talk. I don’t even know if we have children. Gods, I hope not that would be terrible. This is the first time in my very long life where I feel a little helpless and I don’t like it.”

Liz blinked at him and Sebastian scoffed. He sounded frustrated and sad. “I shouldn’t have dumped all that on you. I don’t even know you. Well, that’s not really anything new, I don’t know a majority of these angels either.”

“I don’t mind,” Liz replied earnestly. “If you feel comfortable talking to me then I’ll listen.” 

Sebastian gave her a confused look. Almost like he couldn’t really believe anyone would be so nice to just listen to someone they barely knew but after a minute he shrugged and looked up at the sky. “So, you just had some major changes happen. How are _you_?”

“Ahh, the same question I’ve been hearing non-stop for the last twenty-four hours,” Liz said.

Sebastian smiled and leaned into the breeze that blew past them. “People are concerned about you. That’s good it means they care.”

“I guess. I’m fine, just worried about the future.”

Sebastian thought about Adastros and the threat he and the seraphim posed. A shiver went up his spine and he closed his eyes. “I think we’re all worried about that as well.”

“You were trying to sleep.” Liz reminded him.

“I’m afraid to sleep,” Sebastian admitted. “What if I start to remember things from my possession?”

Liz’s gaze softened. “You have to sleep. You can’t stay awake for the rest of your immortal life.”

“I can try.” 

Liz smiled. “Go lie down. Maybe if we talk about something happy while you go to sleep it’ll keep the memories away.” 

She waited until he got comfortable and she leaned against the side of the wagon. “How did you and Elaine meet?”

Sebastian snorted and smiled at her question. 

“What?” Liz asked.

“She hated me.” His grin widened. “The legions she was originally stationed with were wiped out. She was an officer so she got moved to where she would be most useful, which was the front lines. She was placed within my ranks. She was one of five officers under me. She walked into my tent and I was in the middle of a meeting, we were getting slaughtered and my temperament wasn’t the best. I might’ve said something to the effect of ‘who the hell are you and how could you possibly be of any use to me.’ She was put together perfectly, not a hair out of place, she looked like she had never fought a day in her life. We were all tired from days of battle. We were filthy, hungry, and she was immaculate. I thought she was just another spoiled angel that wanted to play captain. Little did I know that she had fought as many battles as I had and had as many victories on her record as I did. She blinked silently at me and rolled her eyes at my tone before holding her hand out and squeezing every bit of air from lungs.”

Liz smirked as she listened and she shook her head. “You deserved it.”

“I did. Phaedon never let me live that down. He talked about it for months.” Sebastian laughed. “Elaine and I were colleagues and then friends for a very long time. I always sort of knew that it would be her. There was something just familiar about her, like she as my other half.”

Liz leaned back and smiled as she listened to him talk. She hoped things went smoothly for Elaine and Sebastian after all of this was over. They deserved it.

“How did you wind up with an archangel?” Sebastian asked.

“When I was younger a plague swept through my small village. When a house caught the disease everyone in it was quarantined. All that meant was that they sealed the house and anyone left alive after 40 days was fine. My parents died a few days into the isolation and then the sickness began to take me. So I prayed and Klaus was the one to answer. He didn’t heal me though he made a bargain with me. We encountered each other again many years later.” Liz shrugged. “I didn’t like him but he didn’t like me much either. Despite our situation, we became friends and things developed from there. We were able to see through our horrible first impressions and I think we suit each other well. Plus, the fates kind of meddled.”

“They do that.” Sebastian scoffed. “We tried to beseech them for information several times during the war and they were infuriatingly vague.”

“Well, they were very forthcoming when it came to my future. A little too much, actually.” Liz sighed and she looked over at Sebastian. “Why don’t I tell you about my village? Hearing about my small town should bore you to sleep.”

Sebastian closed his eyes and Liz began to tell him about where she grew up. She told him anything and everything she could think of: what her neighbor’s pig was named, the type of flowers that grew in front of her home, her favorite river to get water from, what the bakery smelled like in the morning. After talking for a while she looked over to see that he was sound asleep. She sighed in relief and stretched her legs out in front of her.

Hopefully, he would get some rest and the army would reach the temple soon. After talking about her home she found she missed it. After all of this was over she would convince Klaus to come spend some time there with her. A break would do them both some good.

She let the sun warm her face and lost herself in her thoughts.

* * *

The air was thick and dead inside the dimly lit temple. It had obviously been deserted for a long time. Any worship to the archangels had died out long ago and the thought brought a small sort of glee to Adastros. He frowned down at his boots when he stepped in a puddle of foul water that had gathered from the collapsed ceiling above him. 

With the angels taking on the role of the gods, their interactions with humans had almost ceased. The humans they so desperately loved had forgotten them. How poetic. Adastros scoffed as he approached the crumbling altar at the back of cella. The main room was vast and if the temple’s upkeep had been a priority then the building would’ve been beautiful. 

The sound of his boots against the marble floor was loud in the silence. His eyes scanned the room and he looked for any traps or ambushes. He didn’t think the archangels had beaten him here but he was keeping his eyes peeled. He dropped his bag of supplies in front of the altar and began to unload the things he would need to complete the spell.

Soon he would take back the powers the archangels had stolen from the gods and take his rightful place as ruler of the cosmos. If they thought he was cruel before the war then they were in for a rude awakening. He would enjoy putting the angels in their place especially the ones who had betrayed him all those millennia ago. A slithering sound caught his ear and he schooled his features as a figure floated forward from the shadows. 

“Are your legions in place?” Adastors’ voice was clipped as he concentrated on his task. He glanced up when he didn’t get an immediate answer and saw that Ahaz was assessing the room around them. He had once been one of the most beautiful seraphim in existence. Ahaz had always been the most demented of Adastros’ followers. His outside now matched his insides.

His four wings hung limply from his decaying body. His skin was a green sickly color and it was cracked in places. Eyes the color of blood shone from beneath his hood. His long sharp nails scraped along the marble wall and Adastros winced at the sound. 

“They are in place around the temple. A few legions of angels showed up looking for the temple but there wasn’t an archangel with them. We took them by surprise and they were taken care of.” Ahaz hissed. “When the angels show up we’ll be ready.” 

“Good. You should be able to engage them without any resistance. Once the archangel’s powers are withdrawn they won’t be able to kill your soldiers. I would prefer it if you kill as little of them as possible or else I won’t have any toys to play with.” Adastros said.

“I assume our bargain is still in effect?” Ahaz drove his nails deep into the wall of the temple and the surface began to crumble as cracks traveled up the wall.

“Elaine will be delivered to you very very soon.” Adastros grinned to himself. “I have use of her but I will turn her over to you in time, you’ll have to be patient.”

“I’ve been patient long enough.”

“You forget yourself.” Adastros snapped. His eyes flashed dangerously and Ahaz stepped away from him. “Do not question my plans Ahaz or I will dispose of you. All I need are your legions but you, you I could do without. Remember that. You will get Elaine when I’m done with her. I don’t know if this spell is going to work. I need her to hold the archangels at bay.”

“And how are you going to convince her to do that?” Ahaz wondered. 

“Oh, I’m not going to convince her of anything. She won’t have a choice.” Adastros laughed. “You see, I didn’t stick by her side the last few thousand years just because. When I was possessing Sebastian I could’ve easily broken their marriage apart quicker, disposed of her and continued with my plans. She’s useful though so I stuck around. I’ve been slowly binding her to me little by little so she would never even realize it.”

“How did you do it?” Ahaz rasped. “I tried for months to break her so I could control her. She’s too resilient.” 

“I used blood magic. It takes thousands of years for a blood bond to manifest and I had all the time in the world while I planned my revenge. So every night I injected a small amount of my blood in her. When I call her to my side later she’ll have no choice but to come. I control her. With Elaine on our side and the archangels powers gone we’ll be unstoppable. I’ll have the heavens in my grasp by dinner time.”

Adastros began to mix the ingredients that he had gathered into a bowl while he talked. The odor of the potion he was making was almost sweet smelling and it was light blue in color. He pulled an old book out of his bag and began to flip through the faded pages. The spine of the book cracked loudly in the silence.

Adastros tried to calm the shaking in his hands. He had been planning his revenge on the angels for so long. Now it was so close and he was having trouble containing his excitement. They had rebelled against their makers, killed the gods that they served, and took the powers for themselves. They would pay for their betrayal now.

He picked up the bowl with the potion and slowly poured it over the altar while he read from the book. When he was finished a shockwave rocked the building. The statues around the temple that represented each archangel slowly began to crumble. One by one they fell: Love, Art, War, Nature, Wisdom, Prosperity, Frivolity, Sky, Sea, Life, and the Underworld. 

He placed a glass orb on top of the altar and watched as eleven stands of light shot through the air and into the orb. Adastros laughed as he inspected the glowing glass ball. 

“Get Domintius over here. I have the archangels powers but I can’t absorb them until I have the blood of all eleven of them. The orb can’t leave the temple or their powers will be released back to them. I want Domintius to guard this altar. If any angel steps foot in this temple I want him to kill them.”

A chiming sound filled the air and a wicked smile spread across Adastros’ face. He had set up a barrier around the temple so he would be alerted when the angels got near and it looked like something had triggered the alarms. They were here.

He stepped away from the alter slowly and looked around the room again. “Let’s go prepare your troops and summon Elaine. We have a battle to win.”

* * *

Elias and Randy ran through the woods as they tracked the angel’s scents. They left the academy early that morning after making sure the shields were secure and making sure Luca stayed put. Luca had been very insistent that he should come with them but Elias’ instincts to keep him out of harm outweighed any orders Luca had given him. Randy had found the whole situation extremely amusing. Watching Luca and Elias’ contrasting personalities was always interesting. 

They had been running for two hours now and Elias hoped that when they caught up with the archangels that Elaine and Liz would be with them. His brother had been a force to be reckoned with yesterday and Elias knew it probably wouldn’t have taken long for Klaus to track them down, especially with the help of the other archangels.

They were closing the distance to the angels when Klaus suddenly materialized in front of them. They skidded to a halt and the two demons struggled to catch their breath.

“We’ve been tracking you all morning.” Randy rasped. “You all have been moving quickly. Have you still not found them?”

“We found them,” Klaus spoke slowly. “They are unharmed, for the most part. Liz is an angel now.” 

“What now?” Randy blinked in disbelief.

“She’s an angel. The seraphim decided to experiment on her and turned her into an angel. They used the book that Elaine was researching for your wings.” Klaus motioned to Elias. “So, at least we know that the spells in that book work. That’s a small victory.”

“Well, where is it?” Elias asked.

“The seraphim have it,” Klaus said.

“Oh, well that’s just perfect,” Elias growled. “What about Elaine? Is she alright?”

Klaus paused for a moment and looked over at Randy. “Could you go ahead and find Vincent and Amelia? They’ll fill you in on what’s happening but I need to speak to Elias alone.” Randy nodded and took off into the woods.

“What’s wrong with Elaine?” Elias asked again slightly panicked.

“Nothing she’s fine, there’s been a small development with Sebastian. Well not a small development, a massive unexpected development.” Klaus ran his hand through his hair.

“Please tell me you killed him,” Elias said evenly.

“No, I didn’t. I don’t really know how to say this so I’ll just get on with it. Adastros, one of the gods that was supposed to have perished in the war, is alive. He’s been possessing Sebastian since before the war was even over. He fooled Elaine, Phaedon, all of us. Sebastian hasn’t been in control of himself for over three thousand years. We’ve spent all these years hating a man that we truly don’t even know. Sebastian broke free of Adastros’ hold and saved Elaine and Liz. Adastros is now threatening to take the archangels powers away and take back over the heavens.”

Elias blinked in disbelief at Klaus before bursting into a fit of bitter laughter. “Let me guess, Sebastian told you all of this. He’s lying to save his own skin, Klaus. He has to be.” 

“He’s not.”

“No.”

“I looked at his soul, Elias. He’s telling the truth. Adastros is very much alive and we are all in immediate danger. He’s looking for a temple where he’s going to perform a spell and take our powers. We had to stop our pursuit of him and rest last night or there was no way we all would’ve been in the condition to fight today. This was unexpected and we were unprepared. That’s why we are moving quickly today so we can catch up with him. Isidore sent Emond, his second, ahead of us last night with three legions to try and find the temple and serve as a look out. They are supposed to alert us if Adastros reaches the temple.”

“No, no, no,” Elias shook his head. “He’s lying.”

“He’s not, Elias.”

“I can still feel his claws carving my wings from my back, Klaus, every time I close my eyes I replay that scene,” Elias reached out and drove his claws into the tree trunk next to him. “Over,” He ripped a chunk out of the tree before running his talons down the bark. “And over. Every night. We hate our parents and we hate him and that’s how it’s always been. They are horrible beings. I was an angel, I loved humanity and now I prey on the humans I was once hard wired to protect. I’ve never resented what you had to do in order to give me some semblance of power after I lost my wings. I would rather live as a demon then without magic at all but it’s still not ideal. It’s not how I envisioned my life and it’s their fault!”

Klaus watched him for a few minutes before taking a deep breath. “I only want you to know the facts. You can continue hating him, in fact, it’s completely in your own right to do that. I’m not really sure of my feelings towards him at all. No one would blame you. You are a demon though and you understand how possession works you know how little control a vessel has when they are taken over. He’s an archangel and we’ll need him in the coming fight with the seraphim and the rebel demons aiding Adastros. I need you because you are one of my generals and you are an archdemon. This is bigger than any personal issues we have.”

“I don’t know if I can fight beside him.” Elias shook his head.

“I know,” Klaus said. “I’m sorry that I have to put you in this position but the world needs both of you. Elias, please. You know I hate saying please.”

Elia’s eyes fluttered shut and he scrubbed his hands down his face. “You said he saved Liz and Elaine’s lives?”

“Yes. Yes, he did.” 

“Then I’ll be civil for them, and for you, but don’t ask any more from me. I will do what I have to do for the sake of stopping this god and nothing more.”

Klaus assessed his brother for a minute and nodded. “Alright, thank you. Let’s get back to the others. The archangels, their seconds, and the horsemen are about to have a strategy meeting. Will you be alright to attend? I’ve told Sebastian to stay away from you and he’s going to respect that. If it’s too much to be around him then you can bow out and I’ll fill you in later.”

“No, let’s go and get this over with.”

They began to walk towards the angels when suddenly Klaus reached out and gripped the nearest tree. A feeling of emptiness washed over him and a weight settled in his chest. He placed his forehead against the bark and used the tree to steady himself. It was hard to breathe and he closed his eyes.

“Klaus?” Elias was at his side in an instant.

“Something is wrong.” Klaus murmured. “I feel weak. Like my power is draining. We need to get back to camp.”

“Can you sprint?”

Klaus rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He felt like he was going to throw up. He had to move though and he wasn’t used to feeling so helpless. He pulled himself to his full height and stamped down his feeling of panic. He could no longer feel the pull underworld. He tried to shift into his demon form but nothing happened. 

“I think I lost my archangel abilities.” 

“How is that possible?” Elias asked.

“It looks like Adastros might have reached the temple. We need to see if anyone else is impacted.” 

They took off through the forest and rushed towards the others. When they caught up with the army everything had descended into a panic. Most of the archangels were in various states of distress. Charis was on his knees in the grass and Daphne was in front of him. Their foreheads were touching and they were whispering frantically to each other. Theodora was sitting with her head between her knees and she looked like she was going to be sick. 

Natalia was barking orders at a few of Isidore’s generals. Isidore and Phaedon were struggling to restrain a frantic and enraged Sebastian. Liz was watching everything unfold and she visibly relaxed when she spotted Klaus and Elias. She jogged over to them and started inspecting Klaus the minute she got close. Klaus reached out and grasped her hand in his. 

“Are you alright? All the archangels lost their powers. Adastros reached the temple. He was here.”

“He was here?” Elias’ eyes widened.

“Yes,” Liz’s eyes flashed dangerously. “He took Elaine. He was only here long enough to grab her and issue an ultimatum. We didn’t really even have enough time to react. He had her in some sort of trance. She went willingly but you could tell she wasn’t in control of herself. He’s got an army of seraphim and demons over the hill. If we try to get to the temple then he’ll fight us. We found the three legions Isidore sent last night. None were left alive.” 

“They weren’t supposed to engage Adastros or the seraphim,” Klaus said. “They were supposed to serve as a lookout and let us know when Adastros was close.”

“It looked like they were ambushed,” Liz answered quietly. 

“So now we’re up against Elaine and the seraphim and we can’t kill the seraphim,” Klaus growled.

The archangels and seconds began to move and Klaus pulled Liz to his side as they emerged over the top of the large hill. Thousands of Seraphim and demons were scattered across the field in front of them. Liz gasped at the sight and leaned into Klaus. She didn’t know how they would get out of this.

“Elias go get Amelia and the others,” Klaus spoke quietly to his brother. 

Sebastian struggled against Phaedon and Isidore’s hold on him. His hands were glowing and Liz could see them burn the other archangel’s skin as he tried to get away from them. His claws ripped at his restraints and he tried to break free. He roared and the earth shook.

“We’ll get her back. Storming onto that battlefield and getting killed won’t save her. Calm down.” Phaedon whispered to him. He repeated the words like a mantra until Sebastian finally began to settle. Isidore and Phaedon released their hold and Sebastian tore himself from their grip. He snarled viciously at them both and began to pace like a caged predator. 

“We need a plan,” Dina spoke up from her perch in one of the trees and Isidore looked out over the battlefield.

“We can’t win against Elaine _and_ the seraphim, not without all of our powers. We’re outmatched.” 

The angels grew quiet and Liz watched them as they all tried to find a solution. They were such powerful beings and they looked utterly defeated.

“What are her weaknesses?” Moira asked.

“She has none,” Sebastian answered shortly. “Not unless you get close enough to kill her, and if anyone does that I will skin them.”

“Sebastian you might need to face the fact that we might have to kill her. She’s dangerous in the hands of Adastros not to mention there is no telling what Ahaz has planned for her.” Phaedon whispered.

“No!” Sebastian whirled on him and bared his fangs.

“You know, we do have a way to defeat the seraphim.” Klaus stepped away from Liz and she watched him curiously as he walked towards Theodora. The two of them made eye contact and seemed to have an entire conversation with just their gaze. After several tense seconds, Theodora sighed and closed her eyes.

“I don’t like this Klaus but you might be our only hope. We’ll have to vote on it.” 

“Vote on what exactly?” Isidore asked.

“You said so yourself,” Klaus answered. He took a deep breath and Theodora looked up at him as he moved closer to her. She reached out and squeezed Klaus’ hand. Something was different about him, something sinister was coming to the surface. His expression was apathetic. “The archangels can’t beat Elaine and the seraphim alone. With the help of my generals and I you can. Unchain us.” 

“No.” A few of the archangels protested but Theodora ignored them.

“Moira call a vote.”

“All in favor?” Moira looked at the archangels and silence stretched on.

“Klaus?” Liz approached him. She had no idea what was going on but something deep within her was panicked for a reason she couldn’t place. He ignored her and Liz watched as Vincent, Amelia, Randy, and Elias stepped forward from the front lines of the army. There was something different about them too. Their movements were more animalistic, they weren’t in their demon forms but they looked far from their normal selves. Their eyes were darker, their claws and teeth sharper, their expressions wicked. It was the first time Liz had ever looked at them and thought of them as demonic and ancient. 

“Unleash us.” Klaus and the four of them spoke at once and their voices wove together into one. It was the most chilling thing Liz had ever heard.

The majority of the archangels nodded their agreement and Theodora took in a ragged breath. Klaus glanced over his shoulder towards Sebastian. “Protect Liz.”

Liz didn’t like his tone and she stepped towards him again. Sebastian grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back towards him. He pinned her to his side and Liz looked up at him in confusion.

“Show me your chains,” Theodora commanded. She lifted her chin and Klaus smiled down at her. It wasn’t kind, it was like a lion looking at a lamb. 

Chains flickered into existence around Elias, Amelia, Vincent, Randy, and Klaus. The restraints bound them together and wrapped around their ankles, wrists, torso, and necks. The chains were rusted and glowed like they had been submerged in fire. They looked impossibly heavy and they clanged together loudly as Elias stepped forward and held his chained wrists out to Theodora.

“What is going on!” Liz demanded and she turned to peer up at Sebastian.

Theodora reached into the front of her armor and pulled out a necklace that she had hidden away. On the thin silver chain hung five keys; one gold, one red, one green, one black, and one silver. She grasped the small gold key and unbound Elias’ chains. A slow smile spread across his face and when the restraints fell from his body smoke engulfed him.

“The horsemen are more than just archdemons, more than just generals in the underworld. They are the beginning of the apocalypse. They are chaos bringers and the end of all things. When the god of the underworld takes the vows that bind them to the underworld, and he appoints his four generals, then they all take on these powers. The powers are suppressed and shoved down by the chains they constantly bear. Whenever it is time for this earth to end they will be set free to wreak havoc on the earth and its inhabitants. Until then their true nature is suppressed and held back. When they are unchained they take on those ancient powers of destruction and it changes them into the five most powerful beings in existence.” Sebastian replied.

“But only archangels can kill seraphim,” Liz whispered.

“That is only partly true. As archdemons, the horsemen wouldn’t be able to touch them. In their true forms though they can bring death to anything. When the end comes they will watch the earth wither and die under their grasp and they will be the only things left standing. They’ll reap the archangels in the end too.” Sebastian said.

“It’s not the end of the world, though,” Isidore growled next to them. “This is a bad idea.” 

“It’s probably the only way to defeat Adastros,” Moira said. 

“What will happen to them.” Liz was beginning to panic and she tried to move forward again. Sebastian tightened his grip on her and Liz felt her canines lengthen. She couldn’t take Sebastian and win, she knew that, but her body was beginning to react to her panic. Claws pricked at the tips of her fingers.

“Hopefully nothing. We have to stay calm.” Sebastian whispered. Liz didn’t know if he was saying that to her or himself. “They are bound to Theodora. The goddess of life was the one to create the powers and the one to restrain them. Whenever a horsemen is appointed they absorb these powers. The creatures you are about to see aren’t your friends they are entirely different beasts when they transform. Theodora will be the one to set them free. When they take on these powers, they consume them. The beings we know cease to exist. We’re hoping after they are done with their task she can pull back their power, restrain them, and bring them all back to normal.”

“And if she can’t?”

“Then hello apocalypse.” Sebastian waved his hand.

When the smoke cleared a hooded figure draped in liquid gold stood in Elias’ place. It appeared to be a cloak but the way it moved and the texture of it was off. It looked like someone had taken melted gold and poured it over Elias’ head and let it cover him. A hood was pulled low over his face but Liz could just make out two eyes that burned like firey coals underneath and teeth that were like razors. On his head sat a crown made of gold and onyx. He held out a long skeletal hand and cracked blackened claws gleamed on the tips of his fingers. His skin was pale and Liz could see the veins running underneath the paper-thin membrane.

“Go forth, Conquest,” Theodora said. 

With a flick of his wrist, a bow made of fire appeared in his hand. He raised it and shot a glowing arrow into the ground in front of them. The world shook and the sky darkened as the earth crumbled away and a chasm appeared. Fire blazed from the crack in the earth and the smell of sulfur filled the air. Elias lowered his bow and stood unmoving as if he was waiting on something.

“Doesn’t this seem a little desperate.” Liz hissed.

“You’ve never been under the rule of the gods. If we do nothing, and Adastros takes control, it will be bad for the humans and the earth, maybe even worse than the destruction the horsemen will bring. I would rather place my bets that Theodora will be able to call the horsemen to heel.” Sebastian answered and Liz saw Natalia and Charis nod in agreement.

Theodora moved onto Vincent next and used the red key to free him from his chains. With a cruel laugh Vincent erupted into a column of fire and when it died away a hooded figure dressed in a singed red cloak replaced him. The smell of smoke, ash, burned flesh, and oil engulfed him. The hooded figure floated towards the chasm in the earth slowly and knelt in front of the crack. A hand covered in red and black scales slithered from the folds of the cloak. Sharp nails that gleamed like knives on his hand dug into the dirt as he placed his palm against the earth. When he did a shockwave rocked the forest.

“War,” Theodora whispered.

The sound of hoofbeats echoed around them and soon a chariot pulled by two white horses emerged from the pit. Following behind it was a red horse, and a black horse. Elias disappeared and reappeared in the chariot made of fire. Vincent mounted the red horse and the beast stomped its feet impatiently like it couldn’t wait to charge forward. When Vincent held out his hand an axe made of gold and steel appeared in his grasp.

Randy didn’t wait for Theodora to approach him. He strode over to her with purpose and she looked up at him as he neared. He seemed to be the most in control out of the archdemons and he smiled down at her almost lovingly.

“It’ll be alright.” Liz heard him whisper. He reached up with both hands and smoothed the hair from her face. She leaned into his touch and hummed at the feel of his fingers. Randy kissed her forehead and smiled.

“Hurry back to me,” Theodora replied. She seemed to be debating something and she finally raised up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Randy leaned into her embrace and all the angels looked at each other in surprise. Theodora finally stepped away and took in a ragged breath. “That’s not exactly how I wanted everyone to find out about us.”

Randy grinned and shrugged his shoulders. The chains around his body clanged together loudly. “They had to find out eventually.”

Theodora’s hands shook as she lifted the green colored key and fitted it into the lock on Randy’s restraints. The heavy chains untangled from him. He took a deep breath and stumbled a few steps away from Theodora and the angels. He turned and emptied the contents of his stomach across the grass. Theodora winced as she watched Randy go to his knees. A green mist engulfed him and when it settled a figure in a shabby faded green cloak knelt in the dirt.

Two shaking skeletal hands threaded through the thick grass and Liz watched as the plants around Randy withered and died. His head snapped up and a high pitched noise emerged from under his hood. Liz covered her ears against the sound and so did the angels. When he stopped, and they lowered their hands from their heads, a rumbling sound filled the forest.

Wolves, bears, and mountain lions emerged from the trees in a pack of rabid anger. Cerberus and a few of the hell hounds were leading them and Liz gasped at the sight. Cerberus was alarming. He had always been a little terrifying in any sort of battle situation, but here he was different. There was no gentleness, no personality, in his eyes. His expression was blank and he looked ready to kill anything that moved within a few feet of him. Randy floated forward and mounted the black horse.

“Famine.”

Adastros and the seraphim must’ve realized something terrible was happening because without warning a swarm of seraphim launched into the air. They covered the sun like a dark cloud and the air was filled with the sound of beating wings. The horsemen didn’t even budge and Liz noticed Isidore stiffen.

“Nikolaus.” His voice was unsure. Klaus made no movement and Isidore whipped around to face him. “Nikolaus tell them to attack!” His voice was panicked now. Klaus simply held his bound wrists out to Theodora.

“They won’t move until we are all unchained. I suggest Theodora hurry up and free Amelia so I can take to the sky.” Klaus replied. 

The seraphim were approaching quickly though and Isidore threw his hands up. Flames erupted from his palms and a wall slowly began to form in front of the angels, shielding them. “They are going to be able to fly right through that. I need aerial commanders in the sky now!” Isidore barked. “Do not engage them if you can help it. Lead them away from the army. Go!”

Liz watched as a few angels around her shifted their clothes into a light armor. Golden armor covered Sebastian and his wings. Liz didn’t know how on earth he could fly with metal on his wings but it didn’t seem to be hindering him. Hundreds of angels took to the sky. Sebastian held back though and Liz knew he was staying on the ground to protect her.

“Go!” Charis stormed over to him and pointed to the sky. “You’re one of our best fliers, we need you in the air. I’ve got her.” 

Charis unsheathed two swords strapped down his spine and he and Daphne took up a perch in front of Liz. Sebastian shot into the air and went barrelling towards the seraphim. Liz watched as he collided with a group of them. He and the seraphim went tumbling towards the earth in a tangle of wings and limbs. At the last minute, Sebastian broke free of the fight and the seraphim hit the earth with a loud crunch. Liz winced at the sound but her disgust was shortlived as the seraphim began to move and put themselves back together. The sky above them was chaos and Liz watched as the angels fought the seraphim over and over.

Theodora walked over to Amelia and unchained her. Amelia shifted into her normal reaper form and Liz wasn’t even surprised. Death was constant it would make sense that Amelia would always be in touch with the darkest part of herself. Liz did notice that there was no humanity left in her friend. She didn’t speak she just floated around the angels. She was waiting for the body count to rise so she could collect souls. Her scythe wasn’t in her hand though and Liz wondered where it was.

Theodora approached Klaus and began to undo his chains. “If I can’t re-leash all of you what do you want me to do?” Theodora whispered.

“There is nothing you can do,” Klaus replied. There was no tone to his voice and it unnerved Liz. It was like they all had become different people with these powers consuming them. “We can’t be stopped. We are released to bring destruction. If you can’t contain us then that’s what we’ll do.” 

Theodora nodded and unlocked his chains. “So be it.”

The chains fell from Klaus’ body and he erupted into a column of blue flames. When the flames cleared a hooded figure in a black and silver cloak stood in his place. Flames continued to lick at his feet and they moved and danced as he approached Amelia. He offered a pale skeletal hand to her and her scythe appeared in her grasp.

“I kept it safe for you.” she hissed. 

She handed the weapon over and as she did it transformed from its sleek pristine look to something different. The smooth black metal of the handle shifted into one of bone and ligament. Klaus’ hand traveled up the handle and he held it like it was an extension of himself. He slammed the scythe against the ground and the earth shook. The sky darkened dangerously and thunder boomed loudly.

“Death,” Theodora whispered. 

Shadows engulfed Klaus and large wings made of darkness spread from his body. He took to the sky in a boom of thunder and went barrelling towards the group of seraphim. His scythe gleamed as he sliced through three of them at once and the bodies fell to the earth. The army of seraphim and demons on the ground shrieked and came running over the hills towards the angels and the horsemen and the chasm they had created. When they neared the crack in the earth the forest began to shake violently.

Liz watched as a Hydra rose from the flames shooting from the chasm in the earth. Its heads snapped at the seraphim as it climbed out of the hole and went storming into their army. In snatched up any enemy in reach and began to carve a path towards Adastros and Ahaz. Demons emerged from the chasm and Liz saw Lilith in armor leading them. Lilith and her demons collided with the seraphim and the rebel demons in a chaotic mass. 

Elias spurred his chariot forward and Randy and Vincent followed him into the mass of seraphim. Isidore whirled to face the angels and his voice boomed across the army. “If you are a part of the aerial legions I want you in the air lining up kills for Nikolaus. If you are on the ground then heard the seraphim into groups so the horsemen can kill them quickly. The faster we can get this done the faster we can get them restrained again. Do not risk your life. The archangels cannot protect you. Help where you can and let Nikolaus and the horsemen handle the rest, they can’t die, you can. I want our body count as low as possible. Stay clear of Ahaz and Adastros leave them to the horsemen or to the archangels.”

A cry went up from the mass of angels. A few legions ascended into the chaos above and the rest of the army prepared to move. Every set of wings vanished and weapons appeared in the angel’s grasps. Isidore raised his sword and the angels charged forward into the battle. “Go! Keep the seraphim contained we must protect the earth and its inhabitants. Do not let humanity fall!” 

Liz winced at the sound of bodies and weapons colliding. She couldn’t just stand here and watch everything go to hell but fighting was out of the question. She was completely untrained and she wasn’t stupid. She knew if she walked onto that battlefield she would die in a matter of seconds. Liz reached out and grabbed Daphne’s arm and yelled to make her voice heard.

“Where is the temple?”

Daphne pointed to the other side of the battlefield past the seraphim. “On the other side of that ridge.” Charis glanced back at them and raised an eyebrow in question at Daphne. 

“Can you get me there?” Liz yelled over the noise. “Adastros performed some kind of spell to take the archangels’ powers, right? Maybe there is a way to undo it. If I can break the spell then the archangels will be able to kill seraphim again.” 

“We can. Adastros has wards in place so we can’t just teleport you there. Luckily we have a whole battle to serve as a distraction,” Charis replied. “We’re about to get up close and personal with some seraphim are you ready?”

Liz nodded and Charis stepped up to her and grabbed her firmly around the waist. “Alright, you are going to ride piggyback so that way I have my hands free. Luckily you’re small so you shouldn’t hinder my flight. Daphne, I need you to provide cover.” His second nodded and Daphne spread her purple iridescent wings. Charis turned to Liz and lowered himself so they were eye level. “I need you to trust us, alright? We’re about to maneuver through a battle so we might do a lot of scary things. We’ve got you though so just hold on.”

Liz nodded and Charis took a deep breath. He spread his wings and pulled himself to his full height. “After you, Daphne.”

Liz watched as the angel shot into the sky and Charis followed closely behind her. As they neared the fighting in the air Daphne held out her hands in front of her. A thick mist poured from her palms and Charis glanced over his shoulder at Liz. 

“Hold your breath. It’s time to test out that new respiratory system of yours.” 

Liz did as she was told and she noticed that Charis held his breath as well. The mist engulfed them and provided cover as they navigated through the battle. The seraphim that took notice of them and tried to engaged them, dropped to the ground the minute they inhaled. Liz realized that Daphne was producing a poison. The seraphim got up a few seconds later but it was providing the trio enough time to carve a path to the temple.

They barrelled through the chaos and Liz decided she never ever wanted to be a part of the aerial legions. Fighting was scary enough without the added fear of being so high up. They were nearing the center of the battle when the seraphim really began to notice them. They converged on them and Liz saw Charis summon his swords in his grasp. Before the seraphim reached them though darkness and shadows engulfed the enemies. 

The shadows restricted their flight as they tangled in their wings and wrapped around their necks tightly. Liz watched the light leave their eyes as the life was squeezed from their bodies. There was no coming back for those seraphim. Their bodies fell to the earth and collided with the forest floor with a loud thud. 

She looked up in time to see Klaus and Amelia descend in front of her and Charis. They cut through a swarm of seraphim in Liz’s path. She didn’t know how much of Klaus was still present in the form he was wielding but it seemed there was enough of him left that he knew he wanted to protect her. He and Amelia distracted the seraphim and moved them away from the three angels. Liz let out a sigh of relief when she could spot the other side of the chaos.

Suddenly Phaedon appeared next to them and he and Charis made eye contact. He followed them out of the battle and Liz sighed in relief when Charis brought them down in a thicket of trees. The ground felt good beneath her feet and she fought the urge to lean down and kiss the grass.

Phaedon was a little worse for wear. His armor was spattered with blood and one of his legs was bleeding. He was dirty and breathing hard but for the most part looked uninjured. Relief washed over Liz at the sight of her friend.

“You’re making a move on the temple aren’t you?” He panted.

“Yes, we’re going to see if there is a way to break the spell,” Daphne said.

“You’ll need all the help you can get. I’ll come with you.” 

Daphne strode over to Liz and looked down at her as if she was assessing her. “Adastros isn’t just going to leave that temple unprotected. I know you want to help and I admire that but we will be fighting in there. We can’t watch you constantly and if we have the potential to break this spell or save you then we’ll break the spell. Understood?”

“I’m not completely helpless,” Liz smirked at her and Daphne raised her eyebrows in surprise as Liz summoned her hell fire. The flames licked at her fingers before slowly dying out. She had been bored while she watched over Sebastian earlier and had been working on conjuring the fire.

“The more time I spend with you the more I like you.” Daphne smiled. “Let’s go.”

The four of them made their way quietly into the woods and headed towards the temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *screams* It’s done! This chapter was so stinking hard. lmao. I ended up splitting this because it was so long and I didn’t want to delay it any longer. Chapter 20 will resolve this chapter and the horsemen’s power will be explained a little more.


	21. Chapter 20

The temple in front of them had been beautiful once. Now, its crumbling structure left much to be desired. The four figures cloaked in darkness had been watching it warily for several minutes.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Phaedon whispered. “Shouldn’t it be more…protected?”

“I highly doubt it isn’t.” Daphne hissed. “We probably just don’t see the defenses. Just because it looks easy to breach doesn’t mean it will be.”

Liz watched as Charis’ gaze scanned their surroundings. “There is nothing out here but Daphne is right. This won’t be easy.” 

“So, what’s the plan?” Liz said.

“Well, we can’t very well make a plan if we don’t know what’s waiting for us, or the spell in question,” Charis said.

“What do you suggest?”

“Improvise and hope for the best?” Phaedon shrugged a hint of question in his voice.

“Is that how all your battle strategies usually play out?” Daphne growled.

“Usually, it drove everyone crazy during the war. Sebastian and Isidore especially, are sticklers for plans.” Phaedon smirked and stood from his crouch.

“I’m surprised the two of them don’t have any gray hair with you around to annoy them,” Daphne whispered.

“You can thank immortality for the lack of aging due to stress. Also, I’m a treasure. All your lives would be very dull without me.” Phaedon stalked forward out of the brush and his wings disappeared from his back. Charis shook his head and followed after him, his wings disappearing as well. Liz wished she could make hers vanish, the thought of being anywhere near a fight with them out in the open made her nervous. Liz tried once again to hide her wings away and was shocked when it worked. She let out a disbelieving laugh and looked over her shoulder to see that her wings were gone. Instead of trying to picture herself without them she had just ordered them away. Maybe the magic was simpler than she thought? Daphne took a deep breath and gave Liz a small tired smile. 

They kept to the treeline and the shadows as they made their way to the entrance of the temple. 

It was dark and the scent of stale air clung to them as they walked through the rows of thick columns. The floors were a crumbling marble and puddles of rainwater were scattered across the surface. It made walking quietly almost impossible. 

Phaedon was in front of the group with his sword in his hand. Liz watched the way he moved with growing curiosity. Phaedon was extremely easy to dismiss usually. He was loud and snarky and too arrogant for his own good. Liz had only seen him in a combat situation one time and hadn’t really had time to observe him and the way he fought. Now she was wishing she had paid more attention.

He was extremely graceful and the way he held the weapon in his hand was remarkable. It rested at his side but he held it like an extension of himself. All humor had gone from his features and a look of focus and calculation had taken its place. Liz considered what she actually knew about Phaedon and wondered how much of his cheerful attitude was a mask.

They crept into a long narrow room and scanned their surroundings. Nothing moved in the quiet room and it set Liz’s teeth on edge. Where were the defenses, the guards, surely it had to be harder than this?

A familiar slithering sound drifted from the side of the room. Before the group could even react a seraphim lunged out of the shadows and took Phaedon to the floor of the temple. Phaedon growled loudly and fought to get the upper hand on the beast. They crashed into a nearby column and the thick marble fell in a cloud of debris. 

“Get to the altar and break the spell,” Charis ordered. Daphne nodded and grabbed Liz by the arm. She hauled her towards the back of the room quickly and Liz watched as Charis snarled viciously. His lips pulled back over his teeth and his canines lengthened menacingly. 

The sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air as he drew his swords and threw himself into the fray. Daphne sprinted up the dais at the back of the room and ran her hands over the altar of stone and gold. She frowned when her hands encountered a slick substance. It was light in color and ran down her hands as she inspected the liquid.

She brought the substance to her nose and sniffed delicately. Liz watched as Daphne began to mutter to herself as she inspected the altar and dais again. After several minutes of running her fingers along the marble, she smiled in triumph. She pressed the side of the altar and a small door opened. Its hinges squeaked loudly from disuse and Liz winced at the sound. 

Daphne reached into the small space and frowned when she pulled a small glass orb out of the hidden compartment. 

“What is this?” Daphne whispered. Suddenly a flash of light surged from the ball and she dropped it. She hissed and held her hand out to examine it. Angry red burns marred the inside of her palm and she growled in irritation. 

Liz glanced behind them to the fight going on and frowned when she realized who Phaedon and Charis were fighting. It was Domintius the seraphim that had changed her into an angel and hurt Elaine. He was outnumbered but since he couldn’t be killed by the angels fighting him he had a major advantage over them. Every time Charis or Phaedon landed a killing blow, Domintius just got right back up and kept fighting. Phaedon and Charis were beginning to tire.

Daphne tore a piece of cloth from her clothes and wrapped it around her hands in order to shield them from touching the orb. She knelt to pick of the glass ball again and inspected it. Liz watched as a slow smile spread across Daphne’s face.

“All the archangels powers are in here.” 

“How do we get them out?” Liz asked.

“I have no earthly idea,” Daphne murmured. “Adastros poured some sort of potion over the altar. I assume I would need to make one of my own to counteract it and then I would probably need to say the same spell he did in order to reverse it.” 

“Okay well, how do we find out what spell he used?” Liz asked. 

“I can break apart spells, it’s part of my powers but I need time and we don’t have any. I’m going to try though.” Daphne said.

“Daphne, hurry!” Charis’ voice was desperate. He glanced over his shoulder to look at them and Daphne glared at him.

“I’m working on it! Just keep fighting!”

Daphne placed the glass orb back on the altar and stood in front of it. She held her hands over the ornate platform. Her voice was soft as she began speaking in the angel’s language and closed her eyes as she concentrated. The fighting behind them was getting louder and Phaedon cried out to them in impatience. Domintius had him in a headlock and fear flashed through Liz at the sight. He was going to kill him.

“Daphne.” Liz breathed in horror and she watched Domintius tighten his grip on Phaedon.

Suddenly Daphne’s eyes snapped open and she snarled in annoyance. She turned on her heel and walked towards the fighting. Without warning, she broke out into a sprint and with a flick of her wrist, a giant war hammer appeared in her grasp. She gripped it with both hands and barrelled into the chaos.

With a loud crack, she brought her hammer in an arching motion and it collided with Domintius. He went flying across the room and hit the far wall with a sickening crunch. His body fell to the ground and Daphne exhaled angrily. She blew her hair out of her face and rested her hammer on her shoulder. It was nearly as tall as she was and was made of a beautiful polished iron. Gold encrusted designs covered the head of it.

“There. That should buy us a few minutes while he puts himself back together. Now everyone shut up so I can concentrate.”

Phaedon was hunched over and breathing hard. He rubbed at his neck and winced in pain. It was already beginning to bruise and he smiled up at Daphne in thanks. “Has anyone ever told you how terrifying you are?”

“All the time,” Daphne smirked. 

A deafening sound filled the air and the four of them turned towards the entrance to the temple. Liz realized then where the noise was coming from, it was the sound of beating wings. A large group of seraphim was flying fast towards the temple and the four of them gasped at the sight. 

“Get to the back of the room now!” Charis growled and the four of them ran further into the building. Phaedon and Charis stopped at the heavy copper doors and slid them shut with a satisfying slam. They used all their strength to hold the door as the seraphim began to pelt into it. 

Daphne turned back towards the altar and began to chant again. The door shook as Phaedon and Charis struggled to hold it closed. The walls were beginning to crack and Liz watched as a seraphim crammed its upper body through a crack in the door. They were forcing it open and Liz backed up against the altar. 

“Daphne I need that spell gone now!” Phaedon yelled as he bit down on the seraphim’s neck. It screeched in pain and retreated back out the door before another creature took its place.

The doors weren’t going to hold but a second longer. With a loud bang, they flew open and a group of seraphim pushed their way into the room. Liz ignored what Daphne was doing and grabbed the orb off of the altar.

Then with her new immortal strength, she hurled the glass ball at the marble floor. It splintered into a thousand pieces and she watched as eleven tendrils of light escaped from the shattered remains of the orb.

Daphne gaped at her before bursting into a fit of laughter. It was the lightest Liz had ever seen her and despite the horrible situation they were in Liz smiled. Daphne continued to laugh as she summoned her war hammer again. 

“I can’t believe that worked!” She grinned at Liz. “I should’ve tried that first.”

Liz shrugged and summoned her hellfire. It still alarmed her for a moment when the flames engulfed her hands, she expected it to burn but it never did. She relaxed and readied her magic. 

She watched as the eleven wisps of light flittered around the room. Suddenly two tendrils shot down towards Phaedon and Charis. The light pierced their chest and they staggered back from the doors. Liz shot forth a wall of flame and the purple fire wrapped in front of Phaedon and Charis in order to shield them. Liz jumped at the intensity of her own attack. She focused on pulling her power back and was happy when the flames dimmed slightly. She didn’t want to burn out her powers in one go. 

The attack took the seraphim by surprise and they staggered back before they remembered that Liz couldn’t kill them. They fought their way through the fire and Daphne grabbed Liz by her armor and hauled her backward. 

Phaedon had gone to his knees and Charis was hunched over. He looked like he was going to be sick. Daphne stepped in front of Liz and took down two seraphim with her weapon. She flung her hand to the side and the seraphim screeched at the poison that poured from her palm. They backed away from Liz and Daphne in fear.

Ichor made of light dripped from Charis’ lips. His eyes snapped open and they glowed as his breathing began to steady. A seraphim lunged at him and he caught the beast by the throat. In one motion he snapped it’s neck and threw it to the floor. It didn’t get up and he let out a disbelieving laugh as he stood to his full height. 

He rolled his shoulders and he wiped the ichor from his lips and nose. He turned to the seraphim and his eyes flashed dangerously. Suddenly the seraphim fell to their knees and began to claw at their throats and gasp for air. Daphne smiled and dropped her powers.

“They’re back,” she whispered. She strode towards Charis and his eyes found hers for a moment before he went back to his task of killing the seraphim. 

“What is he doing to them?” Liz asked.

“Charis controls wind and air. He’s suffocating them.” Daphne said. 

Liz ran to Phaedon and helped him to his feet. His breathing was harsh and he rubbed at his temples. When he was standing he took in a shaky breath and surveyed their surroundings. Charis was panting and all the seraphim around them were dead. 

Daphne walked over to him and looked him up and down. “How are you feeling?”

“My strength and powers are back,” Charis said. His lips twitched as he fought a smile. “Obviously.” 

“What about you?” Daphne asked Phaedon.

“My powers are coming back slower than his. I don’t know, maybe because I’ve been an archangel longer? I’ll be back to normal in a few seconds.” Phaedon replied. 

Without warning, Phaedon and Charis clutched at their heads. Phaedon bared his fangs and growled. Liz looked concerned but Daphne just smirked.

“They’re fine. During battle, the archangels minds are linked so they can communicate with each other and so Isidore can relay orders to all of them. The connection was severed when they lost their powers but it probably just came back.”

“It slammed into me like a wall and now I just hear Isidore barking orders,” Phaedon grumbled. “He’s calling all of us back behind the lines. We’re changing up our strategy. We don’t think Adastros has realized we have our powers back so we’re going to use that to our advantage. Come on. The shield around the temple is shattered. We can just teleport.” 

Phaedon offered Liz his hand and the four of them disappeared in a flash of light. The wind whirled around them as they teleported and Liz looked up at him.

“Can you hear Klaus?” she whispered.

“No,” Phaedon said. He tightened his grip on her. “His mind is walled off to us. Liz, right now he’s not Klaus, alright? Those powers consume them and push down who they are. They are almost different people. Don’t worry though, we’ll get them back.”

They stepped out onto a ledge overlooking the battlefield. Chaos spread across the field and Isidore was surveying the damage. Several of the archangels were there but Liz noticed that a few were still missing.

Isidore turned to face Phaedon and Charis. “Both of your powers are back?”

“Yes.” They answered together.

“All of them? A few of us are still missing a few of ours.”

“All of them, but we were in the temple when the spell broke so maybe we received our powers before all of you.” Three wisps of light floated by and Phaedon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Who still hasn’t received their powers?”

“Sebastian, Ari, and Karina. They are in the middle of the fray so that’s probably why. Once they break free of the seraphim they should get them back.” Isidore shrugged and turned back to the battle. 

Sure enough, Liz saw Sebastian rip free of a pack of seraphim. He plummeted to the earth and slammed into the ground next to her. He rose from his crouch and his eyes flashed in anger. “Isidore! Why are you all just standing around?”

Isidore raised his eyebrows in surprise at Sebastian’s tone. “We just got our powers back we are trying to regroup so we can attack.”

Ari and Karina noticed the archangels had gathered and used the chaos of the battle to fly over discretely. Once they landed the three wisps of light fluttered down towards them and pierced the three angel’s chests. Karina and Ari’s eyes snapped open and they both glowed like fire. They clutched at their heads and struggled to level out their breathing.

Sebastian cried out in pain as a flash of light pulsed from him. The top of his armor disappeared leaving his chest and arms bare. Six chains shot down from the sky and wrapped tightly around his arms. They burned him as they pulled taught and six metal cuffs appeared where the chains wrapped around his biceps, above his elbows, and his forearms. He grabbed the chains in his fists in order to steady himself and struggled to catch his breath. Light poured from his fingertips and his grip tightened on the chains. Finally, after a few moments, his breathing leveled and he stood to his full height. The chains vanished leaving the six gold rings on his arms and his armor flickered back into place. He was once again bound to the sun.

“Well, I don’t see how Adastros could’ve missed seeing all that,” Isidore spoke dryly and motioned to Sebastian. “We’ll have to attack quickly. Theodora, summon Nikolaus up here so I can tell him the strategy and he can relay it to his generals.” 

Theodora grasped the silver key around her neck and it began to glow. All the archangels stepped up to the ledge and Liz watched as their armor transformed at the same time into something different. This armor was gold and gleamed like new in the sunlight. Beautiful designs of clouds, wings, and the sun covered every inch of the metal. Their wings disappeared and cloaks in each individual archangel’s color flowed from the back of their armor marking them as generals. 

Sebastian’s was gold and was tied across his chest with a silver chord. A helmet appeared in his hand. Wings made of metal stretched from the side of it and he slipped it on. The others did the same and they all cut a very imposing picture. 

Shadows began to leak from the trees behind them and Klaus strode forward from the darkness. His armor was the same as the others but was silver instead of gold. A cloak of black and silver flowed behind him as he walked towards the ledge. Black veins ran up his neck and under his jaw and Liz wondered if he was in pain. He looked paler than normal and he looked strained. His eyes were pitch black but his violet iris’ still showed through. The effect was chilling. Shadows followed behind him like ink in water and the angels parted for him.

Phaedon gripped Liz’s arm to keep her from moving and he shook his head at her. “It’s not him. Stay with me.” Phaedon whispered and he pulled Liz against his side. Spyridon came to stand on the other side of Phaedon and he intertwined their fingers.

Klaus walked up to Isidore and his gaze drifted to the god of war. “Do you have orders?”

His voice was different. It sounded like thunder, unyielding. Isidore pointed out to the battlefield. “Their right flank is weak but there is a larger cluster of rebel demons at the center and we need to take out as many enemies as possible. We’ll concentrate our attacks on the center while you and your generals break through the right flank. We’ll unleash our power first from up here and then move down to the battle. We’ll send the rest of our forces over the hill after we make contact. Sebastian, Phaedon, and Dina concentrate your attacks on the middle on my signal.”

The three archangels stepped forward and assessed the battle. 

“Now,” Isidore ordered.

Sebastian raised his hand and with a snap of his fingers, the earth cleaved in two. A crack formed across the field as the attack rocketed towards the seraphim and rebel demons. The angels and loyal demons got out of the way as rock, debris, and ground slammed into their enemies. Sebastian clenched his fist and brought his arm down in a slashing motion. The loose rock plummeted to the earth. A cloud of dust filled the air at the impact and the archangels covered their eyes to shield them.

Next Dina raised her hand and thousands of water droplets poured from her palm. To Liz’s surprise, Phaedon opened his mouth and breathed ice and frost towards the water. The droplets froze into thousands of tiny knives and Dina thrust her palm forward. The frozen points pelted the seraphim and Liz could hear their cries of pain from where she stood.

“Now, Nikolaus. Break through their flank and carve us a path to Adastros.”

“What of the seraphim’s souls?” Klaus asked.

Isidore and the other archangels looked at one another and Moira spoke up. “They’re yours to consume. Any of them that you or your generals don’t consume will be brought to the underworld. Don’t touch our dead though.”

Klaus gave her a cold smile. “We’ll see.” 

He turned to go but before he could a chain flashed into existence between him and Theodora. She tugged on the restraint sharply and Klaus snarled at her as the chain tightened around his neck.

“You _will not touch_ the angel’s souls.” Theodora hissed at him and his smile widened. 

“We’ll leave your dead.”

“Good. Remember who is in command Nikolaus.” 

“For now.” Klaus murmured and turned to face the battlefield again.

He pointed to the right flank and Liz watched as darkness spread through the seraphim’s ranks. The blackness suffocated them and turned out the light in their eyes. Klaus stepped off the edge of the cliff and summoned his scythe. Wings made of shadow spread from his back and he slammed into the seraphim’s right flank. Their lines began to break and Vincent, Elias, Randy, and Amelia converged on the crumbling army. 

“Okay, so we have a hole in the lines. We can push back toward Ahaz and Adastros. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with Elaine?” Phaedon asked. “She’ll be protecting them and they’ll probably unleash her on the army soon. We need to neutralize her.”

No one said anything as they contemplated their next move. An idea formed in Liz’s mind and she looked up to Phaedon. “When Adastros kidnapped Elaine and I a few days ago he used these cuffs to restrain her power. I don’t know what they were but they were made of gold. If we could get some, and all the archangels rushed her at once, then surely you all would overwhelm her long enough to get those restraints on her. Then you could focus on breaking the bond between her and Adastros and then kill Ahaz and Adastros without her interference.” 

“I know what you’re talking about,” Sebastian spoke up next to her. “They’re called diminishers. I gave them to her when I was training her during the war to use her powers. She would put them on and they would control the flow of her power so she wouldn’t get overwhelmed. The intensity of the power she could wield could be adjusted. Adastros probably just made it to where she couldn’t access her powers at all.” 

“Do you have access to any diminishers?” Isidor asked.

“I do.” Sebastian snapped his fingers and a pair of golden cuffs appeared in each of the archangel’s hands. “They are adjusted to the right setting so they should hold back her powers long enough for us to sever her link to Adastros.”

“Alright.” Isidore rolled his shoulders. “Let’s go sever that bond and kill Adastros and Ahaz.” 

He raised his sword and a cry went up from the army of angels behind him. The army poured over the hill with the archangels leading them and converged on Adastros’ army.

The seraphim were trying desperately to reform their lines where the horsemen had broken through but they weren’t succeeding. The archangels used that to their advantage and shattered the lines. 

Liz watched all of it take place from her perch on the cliffside. The way they fought and incorporated their magic into their attacks was amazing. Isidore led the fray and he was a force to be reckoned with. His sword was engulfed in flames and he slashed through the enemies with experienced ease.

It didn’t take them long to cripple Adastros’ armies. Seraphim were fleeing left and right and the seraphim that did remain were cut down by the archangels. Adastros and Ahaz were at the back of the army and Liz knew the minute that Elaine began to unleash her power. A pulse rocked the earth and any angel close to Adastros crumpled in pain as Elaine’s power ripped through them. 

A golden shield rippled into existence around the angels cutting off Elaine’s access to them. Sebastian stood between her and the angels and let his forcefield protect them. The angels who were still alive got back up and advanced with him and the archangels. Soon Adastros and Ahaz were surrounded and each archangel had a forcefield up in order to protect their legions from Elaine’s attack.

Ahaz saw which direction the battle was headed and fled the minute he saw a hole in the angel’s forcefields. Klaus and the horsemen followed him into the dark forest in order to pursue him while the archangels focused on Adastros.

With the combined power of the archangels, it didn’t take long for them to get the diminishers onto Elaine’s wrist. Phaedon was the first one to take Elaine to the ground and together with Theodora, they managed to fasten the cuffs onto her wrists. She fought them but Phaedon pulled her to him and refused to let her go.

Liz watched as Daphne strode towards them and Phaedon passed Elaine off to her. Daphne disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared next to Liz up on the cliff. 

“I needed to get her away from there,” Daphne whispered.

Elaine was feral. She was fighting Daphne’s hold on her with all her might. She roared as her claws scraped at Daphne’s arms as she struggled to get free. Daphne raised her hand and hit Elaine once, hard. Liz winced at the crack that rang through the trees and Elaine went limp in Daphne’s arms.

“Sorry,” Daphne said. She laid Elaine down on the grass and spread her palms over Elaine’s chest and forehead. Liz remembered that Daphne had mentioned she could break apart spells and wondered if that’s what she was doing. Daphne began to chant in the archangels language and Liz watched as a golden rope shimmered into existence.

It stretched from Elaine all the way across the battlefield and connected to Adastros. Daphne placed her hands on the rope and it snapped, severing Elaine’s connection to Adastros. Elaine’s eyes flew open at the sound and she took in a ragged breath. She sat up and looked around frantically and a sob wracked her when she saw Liz. She threw her arms around her and Liz held her close.

“It’s alright. You’re safe. You’re safe.” Liz whispered and Elaine squeezed her tighter. She was shaking and anger burned through Liz as she thought about how scared Elaine must be. How being taken against her will again must’ve brought back so many memories of the war. She hoped when the archangels killed Adastros that they made it very painful. 

Elaine pulled away and cleared her throat awkwardly when she noticed Daphne was there. “Thank you,” Elaine whispered to her and Daphne nodded.

“Come on let’s get back to the others. Adastros is surrounded with nowhere to go. I hope the archangels take their time with him.” Daphne whispered.

When they appeared down on the battlefield it was quiet. All the seraphim and rebel demons had either fled or been killed. Lilith and Klaus’ demons, the angels, and the archangels surrounded Adastros tightly.

Elaine rushed forward when she saw Sebastian and she threw herself into his arms. The two of them embraced tightly and Sebastian was whispering to her frantically. His hands roamed her as he inspected her for injury and he brushed the tears from her face. Elaine leaned into his embrace and placed her forehead against his chest plate as she struggled to level her breathing. A lethal calm settled over her and the panic left her features as she turned to face the army. She leaned back against Sebastian as she looked at Adastros and Sebastian’s hand slid around her waist and he pulled her back against him.

“Kill him for me, love. I think you should be the one to do it since he possessed you for thousands of years and captured me.”

Sebastian looked towards Isidore, his expression void of all emotion, and Liz realized he was asking permission to take the kill. He was an archangel and held just as much power if not more, than most of the others but he was asking for a chance to tear Adastros to pieces in private. The majority of the angels still thought that Sebastian was a threat, that he had betrayed them and turned to their side when it convenienced him. If he just disappeared with Adastros it would look suspicious. He wanted Isidore to tell him to go so that it wouldn’t look like he was taking Adastros to run. The army behind the archangels shifted restlessly. 

Isidore grinned a wolfish smile and his fangs flashed in the light. “He’s all yours.”

Sebastian returned the smile and Liz recoiled slightly. It was the first time since breaking his possession that she had seen a hint of darkness grace his features. Millennia of honed strength, cruelty, and divine power flashed through Sebastian’s gaze. He strode forward and gripped Adastros by the throat and the god actually looked scared.

Sebastian didn’t look at Adastros instead he looked past him to Elaine. She had untangled herself from him and she was circling Adastros slowly. It was apparent that Adastros had been fighting. He was breathing hard and his armor was caked in blood and mud. His sword was at his side but there was no way he could take all the archangels at once. 

Sebastian tilted his head. “Shall we go play, darling?”

Elaine inspected her talons and smiled as her gaze met Sebastian’s. “I’m just debating which body part I’ll rip off first. We haven’t had a proper hunt in awhile. Will we give him a five-second start?”

“It’s only sporting.” Sebastian shrugged. He pulled Adastros towards him violently. Their noses were almost touching and Sebastian let out a wicked laugh.

“For your sake, I hope she finds you first because I plan to make each blow to your body devastating.” Sebastian released him and shoved him towards the woods. “Run.”

Adastors took off into the trees and Sebastian inspected the sword at his side. Elaine made her wings disappear and she looked over at her love. “Shall we?” Sebastian motioned to the trees ahead of them and Elaine smiled before stalking forward. The two of them ran into the darkness of the forest. 

When they had vanished from sight, Moira turned to the group. “What’s the plan?” her voice was crisp and calculating. 

Isidore sighed and pushed his unruly hair out of his face. “Theodora and I will go after Ahaz and the horsemen. The chaos bringers can’t be left to their own devices. If they kill Ahaz then they might turn their attention to the humans and start doing the job they were appointed to do.” No one asked him to clarify what job he meant. They all knew.

Destruction.

“Ahaz is not my priority. Chaining the horsemen again is at the top of my list. I can hunt Ahaz later.” Isidore waved a hand dismissively. “After Elaine is done hunting Adastros she needs to come with us in order to help us restrain the horsemen.”

“No.” Liz’s voice cut through the silence and the archangels turned to face her. 

“Excuse me?” Isidore tilted his head but Liz didn’t back down. She strode towards him until she was in front of him. She looked up into his eyes and saw the dangerous flame dancing in them. 

“No,” Liz shrugged. “Elaine will come back to the underworld where she is needed. All the angels and seraphim that were killed today need access to paradise or to be cast into the fires. With Klaus gone that duty falls to her. She is needed in my realm.” 

None of them blanched at the claim that Liz just laid on the underworld as if they already knew that she would take Elaine’s place as Klaus’ second. She wondered for a moment if Klaus had already begun laying the groundwork for that to take place because none of the archangels were surprised.

“If we don’t contain the horsemen then judging souls won’t be a concern. The whole world will go to shit.” Isidore replied.

“That is precisely why business in the underworld needs to carry on as usual,” Liz said. “If the horsemen can’t be contained and they start reaping souls then the underworld will be overrun. The job has to be done regardless of what happens on the surface of the earth. Death is constant no matter the circumstances, therefore, taking care of souls is a priority. I need Elaine in the underworld because no one else can do the job. Call her when you are closing in on the horsemen and then she will come to your aid. Sebastian will come to the underworld with Elaine and I, and will stay there for the time being. With the angel’s animosity towards him, I don’t want him in the heavens. Plus, I have a feeling he’ll go wherever Elaine does.”

A hint of amusement flickered across Isidore’s face and he crossed his arms over his chest. “You want to protect Elaine and Sebastian.”

“Of course,” Liz whispered. “They’ve been through hell. Don’t they deserve just a moment of peace? The quiet of the underworld will do them some good plus I really do need those souls judged.”

“You’re attempting to coddle two very ancient, very powerful beings, Liz.” It was the first time he had ever addressed her by name and Liz blinked in surprise. “Be careful how you tread.”

“I’m not coddling them, I’m caring for them which is something most people in their lives have neglected to do. When they get back we’ll depart for the underworld. Call on Elaine when you need her.” 

Isidore considered Liz for a moment and then nodded. “Alright.”

The sound of leaves rustling brought everyone’s attention to the forest around them. Sebastian and Elaine emerged from the trees and Liz winced at the sight of them. Elaine’s long unbound hair was stained pink with streaks of blood. Their hands, forearms, and torsos were covered in the dark crimson liquid. Sebastian spit blood from his mouth and tossed something at the archangels feet.

Liz looked up at the sky to avoid looking at Adastros’ severed head now rolling in front of the archangels. “It’s done,” Sebastian said his voice flat.

“That was quick,” Moira noted.

“I don’t really have the time to play tormentor,” Sebastian replied. “Now, his soul will be turned over to Nikolaus in the underworld. Who knows, maybe he’ll even let me torture Adastros a little.”

He smiled and Liz saw Elaine’s lips quirk in amusement. Liz swallowed at the sight and took a deep breath. The next few days were going to be interesting. She walked up to Elaine and the other woman’s posture softened slightly at her approach. Liz held her hand out to her and Elaine grasped it, the blood smeared onto Liz’s hand.

“Let’s go to the underworld.” 

Before Elaine vanished with her though Liz glanced over her shoulder at Theodora. “Find them quickly so they can come home.” 

Theodora placed her hand over her heart and bowed to Liz in a silent promise.

Elaine disappeared with Liz in a column of shadows and wind. They traveled through the worlds and Liz held on to her tightly. She could sense Sebastian right behind them following silently. When they appeared in the entryway to Klaus’ palace Liz finally relaxed.

“What are the archangels planning?” Elaine asked.

“They are going after the horsemen and Isidore will send word when they are close to capturing them. He and Theodora need your help to restrain them. Until then you are to run the underworld.” Liz relayed the details.

Elaine nodded and threaded her filthy fingers with Sebastian’s. “Call me if you need me during the night. I’ll hear you.” Elaine told Liz. 

Her voice was soft. Now that they were in the confines of the underworld Liz saw that deadly lethal calm around Elaine shatter. Panic began to seep into her eyes and her hands shook. Sebastian squeezed their intertwined hands. Sebastian didn’t look like he was in much better shape. He looked exhausted and vacant like all of him had been drained. They had all had a pretty terrible day.

“One of the healers will come to look you over soon,” Elaine said and Liz nodded. 

Elaine turned to Sebastian and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour.” 

Liz watched the two of them walk away towards Elaine’s wing of the castle. Liz took a deep breath and walked down the expansive hallways to Klaus’ rooms. She followed the memorized path blindly until she reached the ornately carved doors.

They creaked loudly as she threw them open and walked into the silent bedroom. The thought of sleeping in here without Klaus, without knowing where he was or if he was okay, made her stomach roll. Thoughts of the day trickled into her weary mind and images of the battle slammed into her consciousness.

She could almost smell the decay as the vision of bodies falling from the sky filled her mind. Without warning her stomach lurched and she took off towards the bathroom. She was lucky that she made it to the toilet and she emptied the contents of her stomach into the bowl. She wretched and couldn’t stop the shaking in her bones. Finally, when she was spent she leaned against the rough marble of the wall. It was cool against her back and the sweat clinging to her clothes made her shiver.

She heard a low whine and looked up in time to see Cerberus creep into the bathroom. He noticed her in the corner and padded over to her softly as if he was afraid of scaring her. Liz held her hand up and the large hound rubbed its head against her palm. He let out another whine and laid down next to her. His large head rested in her lap and he licked at her fingers. 

“I know, I miss him too,” Liz whispered. Tears threatened to fall and she buried her head into the warm fur around Cerberus’ neck. She didn’t know how long she sat like that on the bathroom floor crying. She was exhausted but she couldn’t turn her mind off.

Suddenly two hands gripped her gently and she found herself being lifted. She blinked up blearily and was surprised to see Daphne carrying her. Liz didn’t even question it she just curled herself into a tighter ball and laid her head against Daphne’s shoulder. 

Daphne dipped a toe into the pool at the back of the room before setting Liz on her feet. “Get undressed and get in. Wash all the grime from your body, wash your hair and come out to the bedroom. I need to look you over and make sure you aren’t injured. After that, I’m going to get you some clothes and you’re going to bed.”

Liz didn’t answer she just started getting undressed. She hissed as she sunk into the hot water and her body relaxed as the water lapped at her. Daphne walked to the back of the room and fetched Liz all the things she would need to bathe. She brought back some soap and shampoo for her and sat the jars on the edge of the tub.

“Wash,” Daphne commanded gently before striding back into the bedroom. Liz went through the routine of bathing absentmindedly. When her skin was pink and raw from her scrubbing she got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. Liz trudged into the bedroom and Daphne glanced up at her from where she was lounging on a nearby chair. She got up and walked up to Liz slowly as if she was afraid she would spook her. 

“Turn around and let me look at your wings.” Liz sighed and let her beautiful silver wings appear at her back. They unfurled and Daphne looked them over quickly. After a full medical inspection and a little blood work, she deemed Liz completely healthy. 

Liz made her wings vanish again so she could slip on the soft cotton shirt and pants that had been laid out on the bed. Daphne held the covers up for her and ushered her into the warm bed. She snapped her fingers and a potion appeared on the nightstand next to the bed. The liquid was blue and sparkled in the low lamplight. 

“That is a sleep aid. Drink it if you need it.” Daphne whispered. She turned to go and glanced over her shoulder at Liz. “I’m going to go check on Sebastian and Elaine. Phaedon and Spyridon are going to come stay with you, they’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Liz finally looked at her and nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I think I’m going to stay in the underworld tonight so I can keep an eye on all of you. I’ll stay three rooms down the hall on the left. Come find me if you need me. Tomorrow I need to have a talk with you about your new body.”

Liz nodded and Daphne shut the door quietly behind her. Cerberus padded into the bedroom again and Liz lifted her head as he climbed onto the bed with her. She curled into a ball against him and let her exhaustion drag her into a fitful sleep.

* * *

“Headmaster!” 

Randolph turned and saw a student scurrying towards him down the hallway. He paused at the entrance to his office and faced the boy expectantly. “Yes, Jonathan? Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, sir. I didn’t quite understand today’s lesson and I was wondering if you had time for me to ask you a few questions?”

Randolph’s eyes softened at the hesitant look the boy was giving him and smiled. “Of course, come inside and we’ll discuss the parts of the lesson you’re having issues with.” 

He turned back to his door and opened it slowly. Surprise crossed his features and it didn’t go unnoticed by the student at his side. He shut the door slowly and Jonathan looked up at him in confusion.

“Is something the matter Headmaster?”

“No, I just forgot I had a meeting this afternoon. Why don’t you come back in an hour after lessons are over for the day and I’ll assist you then?”

“Yes, sir.”

Randolph watched the student make his way down the hallway and he heaved a great sigh before opening the door to his office once more. The room was as he left it that morning. A fire was roaring in the hearth and he walked into the cozy space. He made his way over to the windows before finally turning to look at his desk.

An angel was perched on the edge of its surface staring at him calculatingly. He appeared rather young but Randolph knew better than anyone that appearance of age could be deceiving. The angel before him was relaxed and he eyed Randolph with curiosity as well. The being was tall and well built but the way he had his arms crossed and his back hunched suggested an air of casualness or arrogance, Randolph couldn’t figure out which one. His long brown hair had the appearance of being unkept but Randolph assumed it was purposely styled that way. It was too artfully ruffled to be an accident. The angels piercing blue eyes matched the blue color of the feathered wings at his back. He was quite handsome.

The angel smiled suddenly, a lopsided smirk, and Randolph fought the urge to roll his eyes. Arrogance it was then.

“To what do I owe this visit?” Randolph clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels.

The angel watched him for a moment before standing to his full height and meandering around the room. He observed the photo’s on Randolph’s wall for a moment before looking over his shoulder to glance at Randolph.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Headmaster. It’s not every day I meet an immortal human.”

“Well, I’m a rare case.” Randolph shrugged.

“There is no arguing with you there. Nikolaus has told me what a wonderful person you are. I came here to update you on a few things that involve your school.” 

Randolph bristled instantly and the angel smiled. “Make no mistake it’s good news,” The creature paused and then frowned. “Sort of.” 

“You have me at a slight disadvantage. You seem to know things about me but I don’t know you.” Randolph replied.

The angel turned to face him and bowed slightly at the waist and placed his right hand over his heart. The gesture wasn’t mocking but surprising respectful.

“I apologize. I am Archangel Phaedon, the God of Frivolity.” 

“I’m missing six students I assume you came to tell me where they are?” 

“Yes,” Phaedon sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. “We had an emergency take place this weekend and it has been solved but Klaus, Randy, Elias, Vincent, and Amelia have vanished. I came to warn you that if they show up you need to notify me immediately. They aren’t themselves right now and they are dangerous.”

“They’ve always had the potential to be dangerous but they are kind hearted and I trust them. What changed?” Randolph asked.

“You’ve been around a long time which means you probably remember the old legends about the heavens and the underworld. Have you ever heard about the four horsemen of the apocalypse?” 

“Conquest, famine, war, and death. I only know that because Klaus mentioned it when he told me about how the archangels took over as gods. Is there more to it than just titles?”

“Yes. When the original gods created the earth they made the horsemen for the purpose of wiping out humanity. They didn’t know what humans would be like when they created them and they wanted protocol in place in case they wanted to erase humans and start over. Well, they liked humanity and kept them around but the horsemen were always there waiting in case the gods changed their mind. If the gods decided that it was time for the earth to die then they would unleash the horsemen on the earth to kill by war, plague, famine, and untold destruction. The horsemen even had instruction to wipe out the angels and demons as well. Now that angels have taken the role as gods we’re not sure if they would still come after us but we hope we’re safe. During our emergency this weekend we unchained the horsemen in order to win a battle, it was necessary. They got loose and are now roaming the earth. They haven’t started making chaos yet and we are working to restrain them again before they do.” Phaedon said. “So, Klaus, Vincent, Elias, Randy, and Amelia will be gone until we can get them back to normal.”

“Okay, what about Miss Hart? She disappeared around the same time and hasn’t come back either. How is she involved in this?” 

Phaedon winced. “Did Klaus not tell you about her involvement?”

“He didn’t mention anything about her. They spend quite a lot of time together and she’s roommates with Amelia but I didn’t think anything of it.” Randolph said. “Is she safe?”

“She’s safe but she won’t be back to school until probably next week.”

“Why?” Randolph narrowed his eyes at Phaedon.

“She and Klaus are involved romantically, it’s a long story that one of them can tell you at another time. Liz was taken on Sunday by some seraphim and turned into an angel. She’s adjusting to her new body and immortality. I know she wants to continue going to the academy but I’ll let the two of you discuss that.” Phaedon said.

“I don’t like that one of my students got involved in your problems,” Randolph said.

“I know but like I said, their story is a long one and it predates Liz’s time at the academy. Just talk to them and they’ll explain everything.” 

Randolph eyed Phaedon speculatively but nodded. “Alright, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for now as long as you promise me Liz is unharmed.”

“She is safe and the seraphim problem is almost done being dealt with so you should see less of them around the academy,” Phaedon said. 

“That’s a relief.” Randolph relaxed. “I hated that they were this close to the school with the students around. I’m happy they are being dealt with. Now, would you like a cup of tea? I would like to hear about what you do.” 

“I have a little bit of time before I need to get back to the underworld. I would love one.” Phaedon looked surprised and he extended his hand. Randolph grasped it and they smiled at each other. Randolph admitted to himself that he quite liked the angel.

* * *

Liz rubbed her eyes as she walked through the hallways of Klaus’ palace. She hadn’t slept well the night before and had woken up cranky and hungry. Phaedon and Spyridon had been asleep on the couch across from the bed and had woken up immediately to see if she was fine. They meant well, but they were beginning to drive her crazy with their fussing. 

She finally got some alone time when Phaedon went to the academy to talk to Headmaster Randolph and Spyridon went back to the heavens to fulfill some of Phaedon’s duties. They would be back later. She was thankful for their company but she was enjoying the peace and quiet.

Liz pushed open the doors to the dining room and froze in surprise at the people sitting at the table. Khryses was sitting at the middle of the table and Natalia was curled up in his lap fast asleep. He was attempting to eat without disturbing her and it was one of the sweetest things Liz had ever seen. He gave Liz a helpless smile over Natalia’s shoulder and Liz smiled back at him. 

“Liz, right? I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself the other day. I’m Khryses.” His deep voice was just a whisper and he gave Liz a small wave.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Liz whispered back. “Not to sound rude but what are you two doing here?”

“Daphne called us last night and asked us to come stay with Elaine and Sebastian. She was worried about their ability to help each other if something happened during the night.” 

“How are they?” Liz asked.

Khryses winced at her question. “We had a rough night.”

“What happened?” Liz said.

“Sebastian is terrified to sleep. I don’t blame him but he can’t keep taking short naps during the day and then not sleep at night. I thought after the battle yesterday he would be exhausted, and he was, but he was so afraid to close his eyes. Elaine passed out the minute she got out of the bath and put on some clean clothes. She started having nightmares about the war and Ahaz around two a.m. Her nightmares made Sebastian start remembering some things from the war and it completely shut him down. He retreated into himself. Finally, Elaine just curled up in his lap and went back to sleep. I don’t think Sebastian slept at all. We couldn’t help much because they were both distressed and wouldn’t let us get near the other one.”

“Where are they now?” Liz asked.

“When we came in here to eat lunch, Elaine was awake and she was trying to get Sebastian to go to sleep.” 

“Have they eaten?”

“Yes, we brought them some food before we sat down to eat,” Khryses said. 

“Okay, thank you.” 

Liz surveyed the table full of loaves of bread, pastries, and baked goods and her stomach growled loudly. “It all looks good.”

“If you want something savory I would suggest the garlic herb and cheese bread or the braided pesto bread. If you want something sweet there is dark chocolate cake with a red wine glaze and chocolate croissants along with every type of scone imaginable. There are also ingredients to make sandwiches.”

“Who made all this?” Liz wondered. She filled her plate and began to sit down and eat. 

“I did.” Khryses blushed. He blew his long red hair out of his face and grinned.

“You bake?” Liz said.

“I do. Especially when I’m stressed, that’s why there is so much food.” 

“It’s a wonder Isidore and I don’t weigh a thousand pounds,” Natalia spoke up and lifted her head off of Khryses’ shoulder. She nuzzled his neck for a second and kissed his cheek. “Hello, love.”

“Good nap?” Khryses looked down at her and smiled.

“Yes.” She untangled herself from him and settled into a chair. Her movements were graceful and catlike. Natalia tilted her head and surveyed Liz. Her brown eyes were piercing and sparkled like amber. “Nice to meet you, Liz. I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

“You have?” Liz blinked in surprise.

“Oh yes.” Natalia laughed. “Ever since the first time you came to a council meeting. You really rub our husband the wrong way.” Khryses smirked and shook his head in amusement at her words.

“I’m sorry,” Liz said.

“No, don’t be.” Natalia rested her elbow on the table and reached over to grab a croissant. “More people need to put Isidore in his place.”

“He’s old and set in his ways. Likes to think he’s right all the time.” Khryses said.

“Careful with the ‘old’ comments, Khryses. He and I are the same age.” Natalia glared at him. 

“Sorry.” Khryses laughed. 

The doors to the dining room opened suddenly and Elaine strolled into the room. She looked exquisite as always and if Liz hadn’t known that Elaine had a rough night she wouldn’t have been able to tell. That is until Elaine walked over to the liquor cabinet, poured herself a glass of something, and downed it in one gulp. 

“Are you done eating?” Elaine looked over at Liz and she nodded. “Good, come with me. Natalia, will you and Khryses go sit with Sebastian? He finally went to sleep, just keep an eye on him for me, please?”

“We will. Let us know if you need anything.” Natalia grabbed a few more scones off of the table and she and Khryses vanished in a flash of light. 

Elaine walked out of the dining room in a swirl of black silk and Liz followed her through the hallways. The dress she wore was fitted with long sleeves and beautiful silver embroidery that ran around the neck and down the back of the dress. The cut of it clung to her curves and the silk rippled around her legs like water. As they walked she waved her hands and a crown made of silver and black diamonds appeared in her grasp. She placed the crown on her head and waved her hand again. Another crown appeared in her palm.

It was a muted gold and it looked like it was made of interlocking vines. They twisted around each other to form the base of the crown. Flowers made of gold and black diamond covered the crown and shimmered in the low lamplight. 

When they finally stopped Liz recognized where they were. They were standing in front of the doors to the throne room. Elaine smoothed down her dress and turned to face Liz. She touched Liz’s shoulder and her pants and cotton shirt transformed into a beautiful floor length gown. It was the same one she had worn the last time she was here and she smiled. Elaine held up the gold crown and placed it on Liz’s head. 

“Today you are going to judge souls.” Elaine grinned at her. 

“Me?” Liz’s eyes widened.

“You.” Elaine winked. “I’m going to show you how. With Klaus missing, I have access to all his powers so I can start teaching you. You are going to be his second in command and queen of the underworld. You’ll have to learn this eventually so we might as well do it today.” 

“Now,” Elaine motioned towards the door. “If you are judging souls with Klaus you enter the throne room first because the second in command goes first. You’ll walk through the souls and then go sit on the throne next to his. He and I are usually more sinister in that room than we are anywhere else because it scares the souls that are about to enter damnation. You can do whatever you want though.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head. “If Klaus is out of the underworld, for whatever reason, and you are judging souls then your highest ranking general will move into the role of second in command and you will take over Klaus’ role.”

“Who is the highest ranking general?” Liz asked.

“Elias. Normally Amelia will bring the souls in front of you but since she’s gone Lilith will be taking over that role.” Elaine waved her hand again and Klaus’ golden staff appeared in her grip. “You will pour your magic into the staff and it will show you who needs to be questioned and give you a list of names. Your second will descend the dais, read the names on the list, and then the souls that don’t need to be questioned will get taken to paradise.”

“What if I screw it up? My magic is average at best.” Liz said.

Elaine’s gaze softened at her question. “Our magic is different than human magic. We are divine creatures, we don’t have to master our magic it bends to our will. Think of it kind of like your primitive magic. You just think about what you want to happen and your magic will make it work. Kind of like with your wings. When you want them to disappear you just picture what you look like without them and they’re gone. I guess you could say our magic is simpler than human magic but much more powerful. So, pour your power into the staff and think of it like a wand. Command it to show the souls for questioning and it will. You’ve got this Liz and I’ll be right there if you need any help.” 

Elaine walked up to the large double doors and gripped the handles. Lilith appeared in a puff of smoke next to her and bowed to both of them. 

“Who do you want first? The seraphim that died in battle, the angels, our normal influx of humans, or the one god in our custody?”

Elaine hummed as she thought about it. She turned and glanced over her shoulder at Liz. Her grin widened and she winked at Liz again.

“I don’t like that smile,” Liz grumbled.

“Bring us the seraphim first, Lilith. I think we’ll save Adastros for Klaus.” Elaine addressed the tormentor. Lilith smirked and disappeared again. Elaine fixed her crown and her voice carried back to Liz. It was almost too soft for her to hear. “Make them afraid, Liz. It’s like putting on a show and they deserve to be afraid. Oh, and by the way, now that they’re dead and in our realm, our powers can hurt them. Use that to your advantage. I know I’m going to.”

She threw the doors open and Liz saw the souls blink into existence. Seraphim covered ever inch of the room and the doors swung shut behind her. Not before Liz heard their snarls of outrage at the sight of Elaine.

She took a deep breath and tried to steady her shaking hands. Something moved in the shadows next to her and Cerberus walked out of the darkness. He nosed her hand and Liz ran her fingers through his fur. 

“Will you walk with me?” Liz wondered. Cerberus nodded and he raised his hackles. A loud snarl filled the space and Liz rolled her eyes. “So dramatic.” 

After she took another deep breath she gripped the handles of the doors and threw them open with a loud bang. Cerberus walked in front of her and growled at the sight of the seraphim. Liz summoned her hellfire and the flames licked at her fingers. She willed the purple fire to engulf the staff as she walked. Wielding that power was getting easier and easier. Smoke billowed from Cerberus’ nose and he breathed fire towards a nearby seraphim. Liz pointed her staff towards the crowd and prayed with all her might that what she was about to do would work. 

“Move.” She commanded.

The crowd of seraphim parted instantly and Liz fought the urge to smile to herself. As she walked through the crowd one of the seraphim reached out to grab her wrist. 

An involuntary snarl rippled through her and her lips pulled back over her teeth. She was shocked at her bodies instant reaction but decided to run with it. Her canines lengthened and she forced her eyes to shift to their solid silver color. She felt the change instantly and marveled at the ease that this magic obeyed her.

“Do _not_ touch me.” Liz hissed. The seraphim’s hand caught fire where it had grabbed her wrist and Liz smiled as it jerked away in pain. She looked at the seraphim that were blocking her path again and she raised an eyebrow. “I would move if I were you.” 

The seraphim parted for her and she walked up to the dais at the back of the room. She ascended the steps and Elaine stood from her throne as Liz approached. Elaine curtsied and smirked up at her. Liz saw a hint of wicked amusement in her eyes and she returned the smile.

“Good job,” Elaine whispered.

“I can’t stop shaking,” Liz whispered back.

“You’re fine. You’re up here with me now. Nothing can touch you in this realm, Liz. You are the soon to be, queen of the underworld. You are more than capable of handling yourself with or without Klaus here to intimidate people. You are more powerful than you realize. Own it.” 

Liz sighed and turned to face the room. She settled gracefully into Klaus’ throne and was thankful for the warm furs draped across the chair. It was freezing in the throne room. Elaine sank into the throne next to hers and smiled coldly at the seraphim. Liz’s grip tightened on the staff and she poured her magic into it. 

 _‘Show me the souls that deserve damnation.’_ Liz thought to herself. 

A red aura engulfed a soul in front of her eyes and Liz tilted her head curiously. Soon a similar aura engulfed almost every soul in the room. It made it almost impossible for her to figure out if any of them were innocent so she decided to changed her tactic.

_‘Show me the souls that deserve paradise.’_

Two souls engulfed in a blue aura appeared and Liz placed her elbow on her throne. She rested her chin in her hand and regarded the room some more. She might as well make them wait in anticipation for a few minutes.

Finally, she asked the staff to give her a list. A piece of parchment appeared on the arm of her throne next to her and Liz handed it to Elaine. She watched her friend get up and descend the dais slowly.

“When I call your name step up to the front.” Elaine’s voice carried through the room. “Marus and Atia” 

Lilith stepped out from behind Liz’s throne and awaited orders. “Lilith please take anyone who’s name wasn’t called and cast them into the fires. They are your playthings now.” Liz smiled up at the demon and Lilith flashed a fanged smirk at her.

“Oh, I will have such a good time with them.” Lilith walked forward and stood next to Elaine. “And I’m sure Elaine is going to come pay each and every one of you a visit in damnation. Especially the ones who didn’t bother to help her during her captivity with Ahaz. Isn’t that right, commander? Aren’t you looking forward to being able to use your powers on them?”

“Of course. I’m sure Sebastian is going to come play with you all as well.” Her eyes locked on Domintius who was standing in the front of the crowd. “Have fun.” Elaine waved and Lilith disappeared with all but two of the seraphim. 

They watched Elaine and Liz wearily. Liz looked them over and noticed the subtle differences between them and the other seraphim. Their green skin was almost an emerald color instead of the dark forest green. The other seraphim smelled of decay and rotting flesh while these didn’t. Their eyes were clear and a rich golden color and their four wings were full of beautiful white feathers. Why were they different?

Liz walked towards them and gave them a small smile. “Tell me why you deserve paradise.” 

Marus and Atia looked at each other and then back a Liz. “We aren’t sure that we do. All of the seraphim’s souls were corrupted when we were made into warriors by the gods.”

“My power says otherwise,” Liz replied simply. “Surely there must be something.” She paced back and forth and waited on them to speak. Surprisingly it was Elaine that spoke up first.

“Atia helped me while I was a prisoner. She umm, she–” Elaine swallowed thickly. “She cleaned me up every day even when she wasn’t supposed to. She always made sure I had food and water.”

Elaine’s voice was just a whisper now. “She held me when I would cry and stroke my hair. She repaired one of my wings after it was broken from being punished. She and one of the other ladies in waiting would always sleep with me and make sure no one tried to come into my tent at night. She even took numerous punishments for me knowing that if I was hurt anymore I would’ve died. She saved me. She’s the one that got me to Sebastian when the angels attacked Ahaz’s camp. I couldn’t even stand much less fight through a battle to find him. She risked her life to save mine.”

Her gaze found Atia’s “I didn’t know you were a part of that battle yesterday or I would’ve made sure you were protected. Sebastian would’ve made sure you were safe.”

Atia smiled gently at her. “You couldn’t have done anything, little one. I was forced to fight and you weren’t in control. If it’s any consolation one of the other seraphim took me out. I think Ahaz thought I had outlived my usefulness and was looking for an excuse to do away with me. It happened right after the battle started. I’m so tired and I’m very old, Elaine. Paradise sounds rather nice, if I’m allowed to enter it.”

She looked at Liz curiously and Elaine smiled. She motioned to Liz. “Meet Liz Hart. She’s Nikolaus’ significant other and she’s running the underworld while he’s away.”

“Based on what Elaine has told me I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t go to paradise.” Liz bowed her head towards the seraphim. “What about you Marus?”

“I organize a group of rebel seraphim. We fight against Ahaz’s leadership and have been for the past few thousand years. The seraphim were forced to serve the gods and while a lot of us submitted to the power they offered us, the power that corrupted us, a few hundred of us didn’t. We fought on their side because we were forced to and after we were banished to the earth by the angels we split off from Ahaz and his evil seraphim. We’ve lived peacefully in the southern part of the world since then. I was captured by Domintius several months ago and forced into his legions. I don’t know if I deserve paradise but I do want to take this opportunity to tell you about the seraphim in the southwest. They don’t deserve any of the archangel’s wrath and they’ve kept quiet so I don’t think any of the archangels know they are there. I would appreciate it if you all would give them a visit and confirm that they are peaceful. All they wish is to be left alone. My wife Livia is there. Ask for her.”

Liz looked at Elaine and she nodded. “I’ll tell the archangels and they’ll go visit your pack. What is your final judgment, Liz?”

“Paradise for both of them.” 

Lilith appeared again and smiled kindly at Marus and Atia. “Elaine I need you to open the gates to paradise and after you get done you need to go to the surface. Natalia and Khryses just found me and told me that Isidore is closing in on the horsemen. He needs your help and they’ve already gone to the surface to assist him. Also, the archangels requested that you hold off on judging the angels. They want to be here to pay respect to the angels that died in battle.” 

“I’ll judge the humans then.” Liz nodded and she took a steadying breath. “I think I’ll do fine without you Elaine. Please keep me posted on your movements.”

Elaine clasped Liz’s hand in both of hers. “I’ll bring them all home with me soon. Give me an hour and I’ll be back.”

“Someone is sure of themselves.” Lilith chuckled.

“I am.” Elaine grinned. “And I’ll have Isidore and Theodora with me. The three of us will have Klaus and the others back to normal in no time.”

Her dress shifted into her golden armor and she glanced back at Liz as she inspected her swords. “Judge as many humans as you want and then save the rest for tomorrow. You’ve done a good job and I’m sure you’ll want to be available when Klaus gets back.”

Elaine disappeared in a puff of smoke and Lilith escorted Marus and Atia to paradise. 

* * *

Sebastian watched Liz up on her throne of obsidian and his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. She had completely confounded him and he couldn’t put his finger on the reason. He had come looking for Elaine after a nightmare had woken him up. He only caught bits and pieces of the memory but it was highly unpleasant. He and Elaine had been fighting in the dream and it was one of the most vicious and hateful things he had ever seen. He hated that their marriage had gotten to that point.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind though and looked back up at Liz.

Liz was powerful that much was obvious, and she’s lucky to have received the power that she had. Despite the loss of her human body, she had gained a lot more. It made him hopeful for his own future. If she could be strong in the face of new immortality surely he could be strong too.

If only he could focus on the future and not the memories of the past plaguing his thoughts. The events of the last few centuries had slowly begun to leak into his brain like a dripping faucet. It constantly tapped at the corners of his mind, filtering in like salt and granite.

Most of the time it didn’t bother him. The constant flow of thought was better than the centuries of solitude he had experienced.

Eventually though, the memories would be too much. He’s so afraid that he’ll remember something tragic that his body had been forced to do, and it will crumple his existence. Right now the memories coming in are just the days after the final battle. Organizing troops, dealing with wounded, burying dead. Things seasoned warriors had seen a lot of. It’s terrible but it wasn’t something that had taken him by surprise

Elaine reminded him frequently last night that he wasn’t in control of his body. That the memories he was seeing weren’t him.

She’s right, but he can’t help but feel responsible. If he had been stronger, quicker, braver; then maybe none of this would’ve happened.

She also told him that the guilt is not good for him, that asking ‘what if’ is too dangerous. She’s right about that too. But how could he stop? He would always wonder what would’ve happened if he hadn’t gotten possessed.

His thoughts weighed on him and his feet moved forward on their own volition, towards that dais of rock. He pushed through the souls in front of Liz’s throne and trudged up the stairs. She eyed him warily. Not out of fear, but curiosity. She doesn’t understand why he’s there. He doesn’t either, he just needs someone.

Sebastian fell to his knees in front of Liz’s throne and buried his face in her lap as a sob wracked his body. He flinched in surprise as her fingers threaded through his hair. He doesn’t know how long has passed but her touch is comforting.

The sound of Lilith coming and going as Liz continued to judge souls is the only sound in the room. No one said anything. Sebastian was thankful for that. He hates feeling weak and right now he’s so tired.

Finally, when the room was silent and still, he tilted his head so he could look up at Liz. Her beautiful eyes met his and something shot through him. He licked his lips as he tried to ready his voice. After centuries of not being in control of his words, he sometimes forgets how to use them. Not that he was talkative to begin with.

“I want you to judge my soul.”

“I can’t,” Liz whispered. “You aren’t dead.”

“I feel dead.”

“You aren’t.” She grasped his chin suddenly and forced him to look at her. “Sebastian.”

His name sounded like a prayer on her lips and he wanted nothing more than for her to pray to him. If he had been in control all those years ago and heard her prayer would he and Elaine have come to save her? The thought was a nice distraction. Would she had still been thrown into all this chaos? Probably. That throne suits her. He had no doubt in his mind that if the circumstances would’ve been different she would’ve still found his brother somehow. It’s a nice thought, she and Klaus are good together. Her grip on him loosened and Liz smiled softly at him.

“Do you want to know a secret?” Liz whispered again and Sebastian nodded his head.

“I would sentence you to paradise.”

His eyes closed at her words and she continued speaking. “I don’t even have to look at your soul to know. You’ve suffered enough and your actions weren’t done by your own hands. Nothing I could see in your soul would change my mind.”

“I think you’re making that up,” Sebastian whispered.

“Think what you want.” Liz’s fingers threaded through his hair again and he relaxed against her. He feels himself drifting off and lets the exhaustion settle into his bones.

* * *

Liz relaxed into the throne and continued to stroke Sebastian’s hair. She was really concerned for him and she would gladly sit there for hours if it meant he was able to sleep. She leaned her head back and dozed on and off. She was exhausted too and this gave her an excuse to rest her eyes.

The sound of the doors to the throne room opening caught her attention and she raised her head. Elaine walked into the room brushing dirt from her armor. She was a little disheveled but for the most part unharmed. Liz was relieved.

Elaine’s eyes softened when she noticed Sebastian and she shook her head as she walked up the dais. She bent over and smoothed his messy hair out of his face. 

“What happened?” Elaine whispered.

“I don’t know. He came in here and he was upset. He asked me to judge his soul. He’s been like this for about an hour. I was afraid to move him. He needs rest and if he was comfortable I wasn’t about to disturb him.” Liz replied.

“Thank you. Listen, Sebastian and I aren’t staying in the underworld.” Liz opened her mouth to protest but Elaine raised her hand to stop her. Liz closed her mouth and Elaine continued. “We aren’t going back to the heavens. We’re just going to go to the surface and find somewhere quiet. We have a lot we need to work through and we need to do some healing and relaxing.”

Elaine paused and looked down at Liz. “Sebastian talked to me last night and he’s really uncomfortable being here. Elias and Klaus have dealt with a lot of abuse from their parents and from Sebastian when he was possessed. This is their safe space and Sebastian feels like he’s violating it by being here.”

“He needs a safe space too, Elaine. The heavens aren’t safe for him right now but I do understand. We need to think about Elias and Klaus too. Where will you go?” Liz said.

“I don’t know. We’ll probably just roam and stop when we want to.” Elaine shrugged.

“Can I make a suggestion?” Liz gave her a small smile and Elaine nodded. “I have a cottage in my village. It’s called Reitz. It’s small and the people are friendly and warm. I think it would be perfect.”

Elaine thought for a moment. “Are you okay with that? That’s your home.”

“I’m fine with it. It’s been unoccupied since I’ve been at school so I don’t know what state it’s in but you all can fix anything or clean with a snap of your fingers. It shouldn’t be a problem. My neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Carter will probably ask you what business you have there, just to make sure you aren’t using my house against my knowledge. Tell them I sent you and it should be fine. Make sure the wings and the claws stay hidden unless you’re inside. Use anything in the house that you want to. You can sleep in any of the bedrooms. Nothing is off limits.”

Elaine grinned at her. “Alright, that sounds perfect. We’ll leave right now. I’ll pop back into the underworld in a few days to check on things. Call me if you need me though.”

Elaine leaned down and began to whisper to Sebastian. He blinked blearily a few times and raised his head. He yawned and Elaine helped him to his feet. She wrapped an arm around his waist in order to support him. He looked like he was barely awake. “Klaus and everyone are back. They are being checked out by Daphne and Theodora for injuries right now.”

“Are they alright?” Liz stood quickly.

“They are fine. Vincent has a shattered collarbone and shoulder. He put up the most fight during the chaining. Klaus has a broken arm but it was set and already healing at a rapid pace when I left him with Theodora. A lot of magic is still coursing through them so their healing is amazing. The others are unharmed. Phaedon is back from the academy and he brought a boy named Luca with him?” Elaine tilted her head.

“Luca and Elias have a bargain,” Liz explained.

Elaine rolled her eyes and shook her head. “The boy hit on me.”

Liz snorted and shook her head. “He does that sometimes although I personally think he’s got a thing for Elias.”

“Good luck Elias.” Elaine murmured but she grinned. “He’s sweet and Elias needs someone sweet. Tell Klaus I said goodbye and that I’ll be back in a few days. He’s in the infirmary but I wouldn’t go there if I were you. They are setting Vincent’s shoulder and it’s not pretty. Klaus will probably go straight to his room when he’s done helping Theodora and Daphne. Just meet him there.” 

Elaine looked up at Sebastian. He was staring at the wall and her eyebrows furrowed in concern. She tightened her grip on him and nodded to Liz. “Goodbye, Liz.” They disappeared in a flash of light and Liz hoped that some time alone would allow them to begin healing.

She took a deep breath and walked towards the large doors at the back of the room. She would go wait on Klaus. They had a lot to discuss and Liz needed to make sure he was alright. Now that this horrible week was behind them, maybe they could relax and spend some much needed time together. Heaven knows they deserved it.


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW content in the second section.
> 
> Photo reference for Liz’s votum: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/604326843718821925/
> 
> **UPDATE 7/20** Hi everyone, I'm so sorry for the lack of posts the last few months. Real life has been super hectic and there just hasn't been time to write. I made some progress so hopefully, the next chapter will be done next week. I just wanted to pop in and say that I haven't forgotten about this story and I'll be back with an update soon. <3

Liz had no idea what to expect as she walked back to Klaus’ rooms. The last few days had been a whirlwind and she didn’t quite feel like she had her feet back on the ground yet. She was tired and she was concerned about Klaus and the others. Liz was hoping all her fears would be put at ease. Frankly, she was tired of putting on a brave face. Daphne was the only one who had seen her fall apart and she was glad for her kindness, but Liz needed Klaus. 

When she opened the doors she frowned when she realized he wasn’t there. He had been though. A plate of half-eaten food was at the table by the balcony and she could smell his shampoo. He hadn’t been gone long. She decided she was going to go look for him when she heard the door open. 

She whipped around to face the bedroom door and sighed in relief when Klaus strolled into the room. He had a book in his hand and he glanced up when he heard her exhale. He froze and lowered the book to his side.

“I’ve been looking for you.” His gaze raked up her body as he took in her formal dress and crown. He raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head.

“I’ve been judging souls,” Liz answered his unspoken question. “Is that a problem?” He didn’t exactly look happy to see her.

Klaus fiddled with a strand of her hair as he passed by her and placed the book in his hand down on the table. Liz caught sight of his bandaged arm and she frowned as she turned to face him. He leaned back against the desk and surveyed her again. His posture was tense and his gaze was hard and angry. So much for a heartfelt reunion.

“Why don’t you say whatever’s on your mind because the look you’re giving me isn’t exactly good.” Liz crossed her arms and fought the urge to tap her foot. Klaus exhaled angrily through his nose and Liz narrowed her eyes at him. 

“You should not have stepped foot onto that battlefield yesterday, not one single toe,” Klaus spoke evenly. Liz let out a disbelieving laugh and turned to walk away from him. She stormed out onto the balcony and she heard him follow her. “You have no fighting experience, you were turned into an angel days ago, you don’t have a grasp on your powers, you don’t know how to use a weapon, why on earth did you think going to that temple was a good idea? It was reckless.”

Liz whirled to face him and her dress swirled around her. Her eyes flashed and she fought the urge to snarl at him. “You want to talk about reckless? How about we discuss the fact that you unleashed a dangerous, ancient, power on yourself and the others. Powers with horrible consequences. What if Theodora hadn’t been able to rechain the five of you? Hmm? What then? You would currently be wiping out the entire population and you want to lecture me because I wanted to help, because I did help? That’s not going to happen Klaus. You act like I went by myself and walked through that battle without a care in the world. I had two archangels and a second in command with me.”

“A second in command that can’t kill seraphim, and two archangels that didn’t have their powers and couldn’t kill seraphim!” Klaus threw his arms out. “What would’ve happened if you were ambushed? If you all had been attacked?”

“We were attacked!” Liz stepped up to him so she could peer up at him. “I wasn’t going to stand by and watch everything go to hell. I knew the danger and I knew that I might not make it out of that temple but someone had to try to break that spell on the archangels. Daphne, Charis, Phaedon, and I succeeded and we gave the archangels a fighting chance at killing Adastros and rechaining you. Now, I’m going to go eat some dinner and I just want you to think about my reasons for doing what I did. If our roles were reversed would you still feel the same way? I don’t think you would. I think you would’ve done exactly what I did regardless of the consequences.” 

“That’s it then? That’s all you have to say?” Klaus said.

“I said I wouldn’t apologize for my choices and I won’t. I would’ve gone to that temple even if I was human. You didn’t see yourself, you probably don’t even remember that battle. I was terrified for myself, for the archangels, for you and Elias and the others. I know that it was your choice to use those powers and I admit that it was a good idea. It made a huge difference but I wasn’t going to stand behind the lines just because it was safe. It wouldn’t have been right and you know that. You made your decision and I made mine. You don’t have the right to tell me I was wrong.” Liz shrugged. She took a deep breath and headed for the bedroom door. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

* * *

When Liz walked back into the bedroom half an hour later Klaus was still standing on the balcony. He was looking out over the underworld and an untouched glass of scotch sat next to his elbow. Liz saw his wings ruffle when she walked outside and she came to stand next to him. 

Klaus sighed loudly and pushed off of the balcony rail. Liz didn’t turn when she felt him behind her. His fingers lightly brushed her spine and Liz shivered at the touch. His arms slid around her waist and Klaus pulled her back against him gently. Liz’s eyes fluttered shut when she felt Klaus’ nose graze the column of her throat.

“I’m sorry. You were absolutely right. If the roles would’ve been reversed I would’ve done exactly what you did. When Theodora chained us again and I came back into myself one of the first things Elaine told me was what you did during the battle and I was terrified. I could’ve lost you yesterday and I wouldn’t have even known until it was too late.” 

He turned her around and Liz peered up into his consuming gaze. “Truthfully, I am so proud of you. You helped give the archangels their powers back, you stood up to Isidore and made sure Elaine was here to do her job, you helped Elaine run the underworld, you judged souls.” He kissed her softly and Liz smiled into the kiss. “Here you are standing in front of me in a beautiful gown and you’re wearing the crown that matches mine. You look every inch a queen. I’m sorry I let my fear get the better of me. You make your own decisions and I will support you, after I voice my opinions of course.” 

Liz sighed but smiled up at him. She placed a hand over his heart and Klaus intertwined their fingers. “I’m not human anymore, Klaus. I might not have training, I might not know how to fight, and I might be completely new to this body. I will learn though and I am much more durable than when I was a human. You have to trust my judgment.”

“I will. I love you.” Klaus whispered and Liz leaned up on her toes to kiss him.

“I love you too, Nikolaus.” 

He gasped at the use of his full name and Liz smiled before her eyes drifted to the bandage on his arm again. “Are you alright?” 

Liz stepped away from him so she could survey him from head to toe. He looked completely back to normal and there was no sign of the being he had been during the battle with Adastros. She grasped his hand gently and inspected his arm.

“I’m fine.” Klaus pulled his arm away and undid the bandages on it. He turned his arm over for her so Liz could see all of it and rotated his wrist. “Almost as good as new, all that’s left is a little bruising.”

Sure enough, purple splotches were blooming across the skin of his forearm and Liz touched him gingerly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Klaus repeated. He laughed and backed her up against the balcony railing. He grabbed one of her wrists and pulled it behind her. He pulled the other back too and grasped both of her wrists in one of his hands. Liz bared her neck to him and she felt the scrape of his fangs as he buried his head against her shoulder. Her body shivered in anticipation and she hummed in contentment. His free hand drifted over the fitted bodice of her dress and he grabbed her waist roughly. “How shall I take you, Liz? Like this with you spread wide and pinned beneath me? Or,” He loosened his grip on her wrists and turned her around to face the underworld. “Shall I have you this way, with your beautiful wings and backside on display.” 

He leaned over her and ground his hips against her. Liz gasped when she felt him aroused and wanting behind her. She clutched the stone railing hard and took a deep breath. “I don’t really have a preference. After a stressful few days, I just want your body tangled with mine. Do what you want.” Liz hissed.

“We’ll start with this then.” 

Klaus removed the crown from her head and Liz looked back at him. He waved his hand over it and the crown disappeared from his grasp. Klaus ground his hips against her and Liz leaned against the railing of the balcony. He held up his index finger and a black talon slid from the tip of it. He placed it at the neck of her dress and slowly began to cut the fabric away from her body. 

Liz shivered as the air hit her back and the chill traveled down her body as more and more of her flesh was exposed. The dress fell in a shredded heap at her feet leaving her in nothing but her panties.

“Beautiful.” Klaus breathed. He nipped playfully at her shoulder blade and Liz moaned loudly. His palm moved to the nape of her neck and he rubbed little circles in her flesh. Liz shivered at the delicate touch and exhaled loudly in the silence. Klaus crowded her then and pressed himself against her back. Liz’s hips rolled back against him and Klaus hissed in her ear before kissing her neck lightly.

He wrapped one of his arms around her waist and his hand drifted to the hem of her panties. He teased her there and Liz fought the urge to tell him to hurry up. She spread her legs a little further and almost sighed in relief as Klaus’ hand drifted towards her center. His fingers brushed over her panties teasingly and Liz thrust against his hand.

Klaus’ hand moved down to stroke her inner thighs and Liz let out a growl of frustration. She reached back to grab the hair at the nape of his neck and Klaus smiled as he began to nibble at the side of her throat. 

“Please, Klaus.” Liz breathed.

His fingers finally found their way into the front of her underwear and Liz threw her head back as Klaus stroked her folds. The tips of his fingers grazed her skin softly and Liz tried to move against him. When he pulled his hand away she decided to grind her hips back against his clothed erection.

Klaus snarled against her neck and Liz smiled lazily to herself. A moan escaped her lips when Klaus pushed a finger inside her suddenly. She rolled her hips against his hand and he circled her clit so very slowly with his thumb. He ground against her and Liz began to pant as his pace against her clit quickened. His finger and thumb moved in time with each other and soon she was rocketing towards her orgasm. 

It tore through her suddenly and she gripped the stone rail in front of her as her legs shook. She cried out Klaus’ name and she felt him smile against her skin as she struggled to catch her breath. 

The world blurred suddenly and she found herself draped across Klaus’ bed. “Raise your hips.” 

She did as he ordered and moved her hips so he could pull her panties completely off of her legs. Klaus nudged her onto her stomach and smacked her backside sharply as he stood to his feet. Liz groaned into the mattress and settled onto her knees. She glanced back over her shoulder and smiled to herself when she caught Klaus admiring her ass while he undressed.

She watched as every inch of him was revealed to her. She admired his toned body and watched intently as his muscles shifted when he moved. He was hers and he was perfect. Klaus caught her looking at him and he smirked at her as his eyes darkened. His wings spread from his back and Liz marveled at the sight of her lover.

“Show me your wings, Liz,” Klaus whispered softly. 

Liz took a deep breath and ordered her wings into existence. She felt the weight of them as they settled between her shoulder blades and unfurled. She heard Klaus’ breath hitch as he climbed onto the bed behind her.

Hesitant fingers stroked her flight feathers and Liz shivered at the loving touch. He pressed a kiss to the top of one of her wings and Liz gasped. Klaus’ hand drifted over her bottom and then slid between her legs. She was soaking wet for him and she felt Klaus huff out a laugh as he peppered kisses down her spine.

“You’re so ready.”

“Well, you have been teasing me the last few minutes. I wish you would stop teasing and do something about it.” Liz glanced over her shoulder at him and Klaus smirked at her.

He used his knee to spread her legs apart and then pulled her arms behind her. He held her wrist firmly and slammed into her in one quick motion. He growled at the feel of her around him and Liz moaned into the mattress. He released her hands and Liz braced herself against the bed.

She bunched the sheets in her hands as Klaus began to move. There was nothing gentle in his pace and Liz rocked her hips back against him as she met him thrust for thrust. Klaus snaked an arm around her waist and leaned over her as he pounded into her. His breath was cool against her shoulder and her wings were pressed between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable though, she felt safe and slightly overwhelmed. This was different than before. 

She realized then that Klaus had been holding out on her the first few times. She had been human and he had been so much stronger than her. Now they were equals and the way their bodies moved together was wonderful. He wasn’t rough with her but his movements were sure and hard. Gods she loved it.

His breath in her ear was ragged as his pace increased and he pressed her into the mattress. Their hips snapped against each other and Liz arched back against him as her body wound tighter and tighter. Klaus reached underneath her and Liz cried out when his hand found her center.

He rubbed her in time to his thrusts and a wave of pleasure washed over her. Her eyes snapped open and she stared back at him. She felt her eyes change color as her ability to hold her magic down shattered.

A low growl rippled through Klaus as he looked her over and admired her eyes. Her eyes weren’t solid black like Klaus’ but silver, like her wings. They glittered in the lamplight as she panted and gazed back at him.

“There you are.” Klaus smiled lovingly down at her. His other hand trailed up her neck and under her chin. He angled her head back so he could kiss her and when their lips touched she came apart around him. Liz gasped against his lips and Klaus deepened the kiss. His hand splayed low across her abdomen and he pressed her to him as he found his own finish. The underworld shook around them and Liz went boneless against the mattress as she struggled to catch her breath. Klaus pulled out of her slowly and held her to him as their breathing slowed.

“I love you.” Liz panted.

Klaus kissed her temple gently and nuzzled the side of her head as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo. “I love you too.”

Liz rolled over to face him and leaned up to kiss him. They kissed lazily for several minutes before Klaus pulled her into his arms. “Rest,” he ordered softly. “After the last few days, I think we deserve it.” 

* * *

Liz dozed on and off as Klaus stroked her hair, her back, her wings, basically anything he could get his hands on. He murmured sweet things to her about how much he loved her and how excited he was for her to rule beside him. It was a wonderful way to spend the evening but they needed to get up soon. Liz was getting hungry and she wanted to check on the others to see if they were okay. 

It was so hard to move though when she was so comfortable. She turned to face Klaus carefully so she didn’t snag her wings and settled into his embrace. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and sighed happily. 

Suddenly she felt a twinge of magic wash over her and something landed on the bed behind her. She tried to look over her shoulder to see what it was and furrowed her brows in confusion when she saw a sealed envelope next to her. Klaus picked it up and tore into it. It had his name on it so Liz nestled back into his arms and left him to read it over.

Suddenly Klaus swore and began to untangle himself from her. He sat up and scanned the letter again. Liz blinked blearily in surprise at his sudden movements and sat up. 

“We need to take a quick bath and get to the heavens immediately.” Klaus looked down at her and Liz scrambled off of the bed to follow him into the bathroom. 

“What’s going on?”

“The archangels are holding a trial.”

“For who?” Liz demanded and she crossed her arms across her body. “Adastros is dead, Ahaz is on the run, Domintius is dead…”

Her voice trailed off as realization slammed into her. “Sebastian,” she whispered in horror. “No, they wouldn’t do that. Tell me they wouldn’t put him through that, wouldn’t put Elaine through that, they can’t. Klaus, you didn’t see him yesterday, he’s barely holding it together. They can’t put him on trial.” 

“They won’t. Not if I have anything to say about it.” Klaus snapped. 

He stepped into the water and Liz followed him. They bathed quickly and Klaus helped her dry her hair using a bit of magic. When they were clean and put together Klaus stormed into his closet and Liz followed him. She blinked in surprise when she found rows of dresses hanging on the opposite side of his clothes.

Klaus glanced back at her as he looked through his wardrobe. “I had some dresses moved in here from the vaults for you. This is something we were going to discuss later but I hoped you would share my rooms. I don’t see a point in you sleeping separately from me.”

Liz paused as she touched one of the beautiful dresses and she looked at Klaus. “You’re asking me to live with you?”

“I planned to do it a whole lot better than this, but yes.” Klaus frowned as he grabbed one of his suits off of the hanger and began to get dressed. “You don’t have to answer now we don’t really have time to discuss it. Just pick a dress and then we have to make one last stop.” 

Liz settled on a dark forest green dress. It fit her body like a second skin and the entirety of it was covered in delicate lace. The collar was high and the sleeves were long but the back of it was completely open. She felt a little exposed but with her wings, the back was hardly noticeable and she liked the dress far too much not to wear it. Small stones sewn into the lace shimmered in the light and she smiled to herself as she moved back and forth to make them sparkle. She left her hair down in loose waves and slipped on a pair of comfortable silk flats. She had no idea what she would be walking into this evening and she didn’t want her feet to hurt. 

When she was dressed, she turned to face Klaus and caught him staring at her intently. “What is it?” Liz tilted her head.

He walked over to her and smoothed her hair out of her face. He placed an index finger under her chin and tilted her head up. Her gaze found his and Klaus smiled down at her. “You look beautiful.” 

Liz felt a blush creep across her cheeks and she smiled shyly up at him. “Thank you.” 

He held his hand out palm up for her and she threaded her fingers through his. They vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared in front of an enormous metal door. Liz recognized the room they were standing in and looked around curiously. “Why are we in the vaults?”

“Trials are formal proceedings so all the archangels have to wear their crown jewels. We only use them during crowning ceremonies, weddings, or trials. I keep mine locked away in the vaults.”

“Are they different than what you or I would wear when we judge souls?” 

“Yes.” Klaus placed his palm on the door and recited a spell that Liz didn’t understand. She really needed to talk to Klaus about learning the angel’s language. It was coming up more frequently and if she was going to be an angel the rest of her life then she wanted to know the language.

The heavy doors swung open and torches inside magically lit themselves as Klaus strolled into the room. He walked to the back of the narrow vault and approached a row of drawers. Liz looked around the small room and watched as Klaus opened a large deep drawer. There placed in velvet were two crowns and two votums. 

The crowns were both a dark metal. Black pear shaped diamonds and pearls covered the top of each crown. Carvings of vines, roses, and thorns were etched in the metal and Liz was starting to notice a theme with Klaus’ crowns. All of them had some sort of plant etched on them. It made sense with his job of overseeing the gardens in the underworld. Liz quite liked it. They were relatively simple compared to what Liz had seen worn in the heavens but she thought the crowns were absolutely beautiful. What caught her attention though were the votums. 

“I thought votum styles were random. That whatever appeared on the body during the wedding is what you were given. So how do these work?” Liz asked.

“Well, the votums you get when you marry can be hidden away. So for special occasions, the everyday votums are hidden away and these votums can be worn in their place. There are hidden clasps that secure them and they are worn like normal necklaces that can be removed or worn at any time. Phaedon put one of the simpler ones on you whenever you went to the council meeting as Elias’ second.” Klaus said. He glanced over at her and smiled. “These are also worn during an engagement before the couple gets married. You and I are just here to get the crowns though.”

Klaus lifted one of the crowns from its case and placed it on Liz’s head before taking the other and putting it on his own head. He went to shut the drawer but Liz grabbed his hand. 

“Could we,” she swallowed thickly and looked up at him. “Could we wear the votums?”

Klaus watched her intently and Liz met his gaze. She gave him a small smile and he leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. “If we wear these then we would basically be telling everyone that we’re going to get married.” 

“Well, we are. Someday, if everything goes according to plan. If anyone asks we could just tell them that we are having a very very long engagement.” Liz replied. Klaus’ eyes searched hers and Liz got lost in them for a moment.

“If I asked you to marry me right now you would say yes?” Klaus whispered. He turned to face her and reached up to stroke her cheek tenderly. “As long it was a long engagement.”

Liz smiled at his clarification and nodded. “I would. You and I are more than just dating, we’ve been past that stage for a long time now. I think engaged is an appropriate word to use at this time in our relationship.” 

Klaus’ hands slipped down the smooth curve of her sides before stopping at her hips. He pulled her to him slowly and let her press against him. He brushed his nose against hers and Liz smiled at the playful contact. “Well, in that case,” He nipped at her lips before kissing her suddenly. Liz’s hands clutched at his jacket before sliding up and around his neck. Klaus deepened the kiss and Liz squeaked when he suddenly lifted her off of her feet. He released her lips and buried his head against the hollow of her throat. He lowered her back to the ground and Liz smiled up at him when he leaned down to kiss her again. 

“Will you marry me?” Klaus whispered. His gaze was intense and his eyes burned like fire. He grabbed her waist roughly and rested his forehead against hers. 

“Yes,” Liz replied and a smile spread across Klaus’ face at her answer. “I love you so much and as much as I hate to rush this moment, we kind of have a pressing matter in the heavens. Remember?”

“Right.” Klaus straightened but he was still smiling at her. He turned back to the votums and grabbed the first one out of the drawer. The metal holding the gems in place was a smooth polished platinum. A row of large emerald cut black diamonds lined the whole of the necklace. Around each stone were seven pear shaped black diamonds. Each cluster was laid next to each other to form the circumference of the votum. Hanging from that row were strands of tiny pearls and diamonds. Klaus opened the votum and fastened it around Liz’s neck. He secured the hidden clasp and it fit perfectly around her. The strands hanging off of the votum spilled over her shoulders, breasts, and back and Liz marveled at how the entire thing shimmered in the light. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever worn. Klaus reached out and touched the votum around her neck reverently and Liz closed her eyes and took in a shaky breath. 

Klaus closed that drawer and opened the one below it. He pulled out another votum. This one was simpler than Liz’s. It was a wide band of smooth polished platinum with a single row of small oval onyx stones running around the entirety of it. Liz watched as Klaus recited a spell and the votum expanded. He slipped it on over his head and it automatically tightened around his neck when it was in place. 

Liz gasped in awe and her eyes locked onto his neck. “You look,”

Klaus smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist again. “Handsome? Dashing?” 

Liz rolled her eyes and her smile turned almost sheepish. “You look, mine.”

Klaus’ eyes flashed solid black for a second and his grip on her tightened. He swallowed thickly and his throat bobbed. His voice was low and rough when he answered. “I am yours.”

He grasped one of her hands in both of his and kissed her fingers softly. “Shall we?” Liz nodded and Klaus offered her his arm. When she grasped it, the world blurred and they disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

“Wait why did we get dressed up if we’re just going to have to fly to the heavens?” Liz asked as they traveled through the worlds.

“We aren’t going to fly. The forcefields around the heavens are lifted before and after a trial so Dina and I can teleport in and we don’t have to fly. That way we can teleport straight to the courtroom and we don’t have to walk through the streets in our finery to get there.” Klaus replied. 

“Why doesn’t Dina live in the heavens?”

“As goddess of the sea, she lives in her own realm under the ocean.” 

“Really?” Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I bet it is beautiful.”

“It’s pretty amazing.” Klaus grinned. “I have to go there next week to help her out with her banshee problem. I’ll try to go on the weekend so you can come with me and you won’t miss school that way.”

“I would love to.”

They appeared inside a beautifully decorated hallway. It curved slightly and windows lined the entirety of it. They gave off an amazing view of the capital city and Liz walked over to the windows so she could peer out at the heavens. Sunsplit clouds drifted overhead and reflected off the gold and gemstones of the extravagant buildings. After admiring the view for a moment, Liz turned to look at Klaus. He was fastening a black cloak around himself. He draped it over one shoulder and tied the silver cord across his chest and under the opposite arm. He looked every inch like she imagined the king of the underworld would look and she reached up to touch his face. He leaned into her touch and pressed a kiss to her palm.

“I need to go find Moira and see if I can put a stop to this,” Klaus whispered. “Wait here and I’ll be right back.”

He turned to walk away from her and his cloak swirled around him menacingly as he walked. Liz took a deep breath and surveyed the solid gold double doors in front of her. She reached for the handle and cracked them open so she could peek at what was beyond them. 

A lavish circular room came into view. A long table on a dais stretched across one side of the room and twenty-two comfortable looking chairs were sat behind it. Across the room, there were three chairs facing the table. The room was without a ceiling and was open to the clouds and sunlight. Thousands upon thousands of angels sat on clouds and gazed down at the room. 

Liz narrowed her eyes when she realized that they were all there to watch the trial. She didn’t like this at all and she really hoped that Klaus was able to cancel this trial or at the very least get it delayed for a few weeks. 

She heard footsteps and turned around to see Klaus walking back towards her. He didn’t look upset and she hoped that he was successful in talking to Moira. He came to stand next to her and took a deep breath.

“Well, did you get it taken care of?”

“No,” Klaus rubbed his forehead. “Moira and the archangels didn’t call this trial. Sebastian did.”

“What?” Liz demanded. Suddenly a trumpet blast sounded and Klaus placed his hands on the doors in front of them.

“You sit next to me and if you have any questions just lean over and ask. You’ll sit on my right and Elaine is going to be on my left.”

“Wait, what do you mean Sebastian called this trial?” Liz grabbed his arm and Klaus looked over at her.

“He wants the rumors to stop and he wants to come home to the heavens. What better way than a trial? He’ll lay out the whole story for the host of angels to hear, be declared innocent by the archangels, and that way the disdain the angels have should go away once they know the whole story. Elaine suggested it to him and he agreed.” 

Liz closed her eyes and placed her hand on Klaus’. “Let’s hope it doesn’t backfire.”

“Agreed.” He flung the doors open then and Liz slipped her arm in the crook of his elbow.

Natalia was standing in the center of the room in full armor. Two swords were strapped down her spine. Doors around the room opened revealing the archangels and their seconds. 

“All rise.” Natalia’s voice boomed across the clouds and the multitude of angels stood to their feet. “Archangel Isidore, god of war, and Commander Khryses filling in as temporary second in command presiding. Archangel Joseph, god of nature, and Commander Giada presiding. Archangel Karina, goddess of wisdom, and Commander and Scribe Moira presiding. Archangel Stavros, god of prosperity, and Commander Julia presiding. Archangel Phaedon, god of frivolity, and Commander Spyridon presiding. Archangel Nikolaus, god of the dead, and Commander Elaine, and Liz Hart presiding. Archangel Theodora, goddess of life, and Commander Pavlos presiding. Commander Orestes, taking on the role of god of the sun and sky temporarily, presiding. Archangel Dina, goddess of the sea, and Commander Cynthia presiding. Archangel Charis, god of art, and Commander Daphne presiding. Archangel Ari, god of love, and Commander Costas presiding.”

Klaus led Liz up the dais and he pulled out one of the chairs at the long table for her. Liz sat down nervously and Klaus sat in the chair to her left. The chair on his other side was empty and Liz wondered where Elaine was. Phaedon walked up the dais with Spyridon next. Their hands were intertwined and Liz thought they both looked so handsome in their crowns and elaborate votums. Phaedon had a cloak of light blue material draped over one shoulder and he threw himself down next to Liz.

He leaned over to her and pressed a kiss to her jaw. “Nice votum.” He whispered. He leaned forward so he could glance at Klaus and he smirked when he noticed the other archangels votum. “When’s the wedding?”

“Not for a long time.” Liz hissed.

“We’ll see.” Phaedon waggled his eyebrows at her and Liz rolled her eyes. Spyridon squeezed Phaedon’s hand in reprimand and Phaedon pressed a kiss to the back of his husband’s hand. Spryrdion narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“Behave.”

“Never,” Phaedon whispered back and Spyridon smiled. 

Once all the archangels and seconds were seated, with the exception of Elaine and Sebastian, Natalia asked everyone else to be seated. Moira sat at the center of the archangels and seconds and she folded her hands on the table. “Good evening everyone.” Her voice boomed across the sky and the angels on the clouds leaned forward curiously.

“Calling the case of the heavens versus Archangel Sebastian.” 

The doors directly across from the archangels swung open and Sebastian and Elaine strode into the room. Elaine was grasping Sebastian’s hand tightly and they both carried themselves confidently. Elaine wore a stunning gold gown made of silk. It hugged her slim body and it glittered when she walked into the light. She had on a crown of gold and diamond. Sunbursts lined the top of the crown and framed her beautiful face. She squeezed Sebastian’s hand one last time and backed away from him. Her gaze didn’t leave his for several seconds and Liz wondered if they were having a mental conversation. She finally turned and walked up the dais in order to take her seat next to Klaus.

Sebastian stood in front of one of the chairs opposite of the archangels and smirked at them. He was perfectly dressed in a dark suit and a cloak made of gold was slung over his left shoulder. A crown made of pale gold and pearls sat on top of his unruly hair. While Klaus’ and Elias’ hair was relatively straight, Sebastian’s was a little wavy. Liz hadn’t noticed until now.

Liz surveyed him out of concern. Despite the dark circles under his eyes and his 5 o’clock shadow, he looked completely at ease. In fact, it was the most relaxed Liz had ever seen him. 

“Please be seated.” Moira motioned to the chair and Sebastian sunk into the chair gracefully. “You are being charged with high treason for aiding Adastros in his attempted takeover of the heavens. The penalty, if you’re found guilty, will be death.”

Moira motioned to Natalia. The angel approached Sebastian and handed him a vial of something. Sebastian downed the liquid it in one gulp and handed the vial back to Natalia.

“What was that?” Liz whispered to Klaus.

“A truth potion. It prevents him from lying to us.”

“Now,” Moira settled into her chair. “State your title and name for the court please.”

“My name is Sebastian and I’m god of the sun and sky.” 

“At what age did you become an archangel, Sebastian?”

“I was six hundred years old.” 

“And how old are you now?”

Sebastian puffed out his cheeks and exhaled roughly. “I’m not sure. I know I’m over five thousand but I’m probably closer to six thousand than five thousand.”

“You’re claiming that you were possessed by Adastros since the war, up until a few days ago, correct?” Moira asked.

“Yes.” Sebastian nodded. Liz heard the multitude of angels gasp in surprise and she exhaled slowly. Now that they knew that fact maybe this would go smoothly. 

“I want you to tell the court in your own words what happened the day you were possessed.” 

Sebastian recounted the time of his possession and Liz watched him closely. His hands were white knuckled on the chair and she noticed that his eyes had kind of glazed over. This couldn’t be easy for him and she fought the urge to go hold his hand. She glanced over at Klaus and saw that Elaine had one of his hands clasped in both of hers. 

After Sebastian was done the archangels whispered among themselves for a moment before Moira spoke again. “We call Archangel Nikolaus to the stand.”

Klaus stood to his feet and walked down the dais. Natalia handed him a vial like the one she had given Sebastian and Klaus drank it. He sat down in a chair next to Sebastian’s and tilted his head. His gaze found Liz’s and he winked at her. Liz fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“State your name and rank for the court.”

“My name is Nikolaus and I’m god of the underworld.” 

“I would like you to explain possession to the court, please. Angels don’t have that ability so it’s hard for us to understand how serious this offense was. As god of the dead though you can possess and your demons can possess.” Theodora spoke up.

“Demons can only possess those that they have a bargain with, gods can possess anyone at any time whether there is a bargain in place or not. When a being is possessed their body is completely taken over. Their minds are walled off and sealed away so that they don’t have access to the possessor’s thoughts or motives. They also can’t see what is taking place outside of their mental prison unless the person possessing them wishes for them to see. They are helpless to stop whatever their body is being used for though. When Adastros possessed Sebastian then he took every bit of control away from Sebastian. Control over his body, his voice, his actions, everything.”

“Could you demonstrate possession for us?” Ari asked.

“No,” Klaus shook his head. “I have a few bargains in place but I would have to go to the earth get the humans in question and bring them here. Plus, I never possess and I’m not about to invade someone’s mind just to demonstrate something for the court. I drank a truth potion so you can take me at my word.”

Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise at Klaus words. It made sense that he would always have multiple bargains going on at once but she didn’t know why the thought had never occurred to her. She was curious now about the others and would have to ask him about it later. 

“Now you looked at Sebastian’s soul, correct?”

“Yes, Sebastian and Elaine asked me to look at it in order to prove that Sebastian had been possessed,” Klaus answered.

“And what did you see?” Phaedon asked.

“I caught glimpses of his childhood and time before the war. I saw his memories of Elaine getting taken by Ahaz. I saw the final battle and I saw him defend Natalia from an attack made by Adastros. I saw Isidore burn the battlefield and that was the moment that Adastros possessed Sebastian. After that, the memories were fuzzy which is common if someone has been possessed. Adastros might’ve been in control but Sebastian still retains Adastros’ memories during that time. They’ll come back to him over time.”

“Do you think Sebastian is guilty of the crimes he’s being accused of based on the fact that he was possessed?” Phaedon asked.

“No. He was possessed and a person has absolutely no control during a possession. He is not responsible for anything Adastros did while in control of his body.” Klaus said.

“Thank you, Archangel Nikolaus you may step down.” Moira nodded to Klaus. He walked back up the dais and took his seat in between Elaine and Liz. Elaine threaded her fingers with his again and Klaus squeezed her hand. 

“I think based on what has been told to us we are ready to make a decision,” Moira said.

Liz leaned over to Klaus. “That was quick.”

“All the archangels have already forgiven Sebastian. This is just a formality. We’ve told the population now that he was possessed and that we are prepared to put his actions behind us. Hopefully, they’ll do the same. We have no intention of drawing this out.” Klaus whispered.

“Archangels and Seconds please write down your verdict and give them to me,” Moira said. Paper and pens appeared in front of the archangels and seconds and they scribbled their verdicts. Moira snapped her fingers and the papers appeared in front of her. She flipped through them quickly and folded her hands on top of the table. She smiled at Sebastian and gestured towards him.

“Please stand, Archangel.” 

Sebastian stood and his eyes locked with Elaine’s. She placed her hand over her heart and Sebastian took a deep breath. 

“The council finds you innocent.” 

Sebastian’s shoulders sagged in relief and applause echoed through the room. Liz let out a breath and she turned to smile at Klaus and Elaine. Moira stood along with a few of the archangels but before they could move Sebastian spoke up.

“There is something I need to discuss while I have you all here.” 

Moira furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but she and the archangels returned to their seats. From the looks on their faces, Liz could tell that this wasn’t planned. Her anxiety began to creep back in and she looked over at Klaus. He shrugged his shoulders at her. He had no idea what was going on either.

Sebastian took another deep breath and leaned on the arm of his chair. “I,” His eyes locked with Elaine’s and he closed his eyes. “I am giving up my position as archangel.”

Not a sound was made for several seconds before shock erupted through the courtroom. Moira called order and everyone turned their attention back to Sebastian. 

“I’ve been an archangel for most of my life and served the gods for even longer. I’ve had no time to really relax or enjoy my existence. Elaine and I got married in the middle of the holy war and didn’t have long together before she was kidnapped and I was possessed. I need to focus on her and our relationship and healing both mentally and physically. I’m in no state to be an archangel at this time. I’m stepping down.”

“Are you sure?” Phaedon asked.

“I’m sure. I can’t. I just can’t be an archangel right now. I don’t deserve to be an archangel right now.” Sebastian stated. His gaze hardened and Liz saw so much self-loathing creep into his eyes. Her heart hurt for him. “This is what I want to do,” Sebastian whispered.

“As the ruling archangel, you get to appoint your replacement and if two other archangels agree to the nomination then we’ll vote on it. Do you have any ideas? If so tell us and we can vote at the council meeting next week.”

Sebastian smiled and nodded. His gaze moved to Liz and he smirked at her. “I nominate Liz Hart to become archangel of the sun and sky.”

A hush fell over the courtroom. The quiet was thick and Sebastian looked entirely too amused by the whole situation. 

“What?!” Liz’s voice cut through the silence and she stood to her feet. “You’ve got to be joking. I’ve been an angel for only days. Days! I don’t know how to be a normal angel let alone an archangel.”

“Well, none of us know how to be an archangel. We have to figure out our roles and powers ourselves. You would be going into the role with just as much knowledge as anyone else but you would have me there to help you.” Sebastian shrugged.

“Uhhh,” Moira looked completely lost for words. “Liz is lined up to be Nikolaus’ second. What about Orestes, he’s already your second and he has a pretty good idea of what the job entails.”

Sebastian shook his head. “I already talked to Orestes. He doesn’t want the position.” 

“What about Elaine?” Dina demanded. “She was your second in command for thousands of years.”

Elaine snorted loudly and all attention turned to her. “You all have been trying to shove me into an archangel position since the war ended. I wasn’t interested then and I’m not interested now.”

“I second the nomination for Liz,” Phaedon spoke up and all the archangels gaped at him. “What? I think she would do a wonderful job.” Liz fought the urge to grab him by the front of his jacket and shake some sense into him. Had they all lost their minds? She had no business being an archangel.

“Okay, say Liz is elected as the goddess of the sun, who would be Nikolaus’ second and who would be her second?” Theodora asked.

“Elaine would stay on as Klaus’ second in command. They’ve worked together for the last three hundred years and they work well together. I would move into the position of Liz’s second.” Sebastian crossed his arms across his chest and smiled at her.

“What about Orestes?”

“Isidore lost Emond his second in command in the battle yesterday. I already spoke to him and Isidore is willing to take Orestes on as his second in command.”

Silence settled over the room again and then Klaus leaned forward. “I second the nomination as well.” 

“Klaus.” Liz hissed at him and he smirked at her. 

“Watch your temper your eyes just flashed silver.” Klaus grinned at her. 

“Do you accept the nomination?” Moira addressed Liz. Liz looked down at her hands and Klaus threaded his fingers with hers. 

“You can do this.” Klaus leaned over to whisper to her. He pressed a kiss to the underside of her jaw. “Sebastian wouldn’t have nominated you if he didn’t think you could do the job and Phaedon and I wouldn’t have seconded the motion if we didn’t agree with him. I have the utmost faith in you.” 

Liz chewed her lip and finally looked up to stare at Sebastian. Their eyes locked and Liz knew deep down that this was the path she needed to take. Whether fate had dealt her these cards or not she didn’t know, but she felt a call to this position.

“I accept.” Liz took a deep breath.

“Good. We’ll vote on it next week. That will give you time to think about it and make sure you are 100 percent sure.” Moira nodded. She stood to her feet and the room began to empty. 

Elaine stood gracefully and her dress swirled around her. She leaned up to kiss Klaus’ cheek and then Liz’s. Sebastian looked exhausted now that everything was over. He was waiting silently near the door and Elaine stepped towards him slowly.

“We’re going back to Reitz for a few days so we can be alone. Call me if you need anything.” She shot Klaus a smile over her shoulder and walked over to join Sebastian. She grabbed his hand gently and Sebastian smiled down at her. He smoothed her hair out of her face and Elaine leaned into his touch. Elaine waved one last time to Klaus and Liz and they disappeared in a flash of light. 

Klaus stared after them for a minute until Liz’s hands on him brought his attention back. Liz grabbed him by the front of his jacket and laid her head on his chest. “Take me home.” 

Klaus smiled and kissed the top of her head. Liz felt the transportation spell activate and the smell of the underworld engulfed her. When she looked up they were back in the vaults in Klaus’ palace. 

Klaus pulled her to him slowly and wrapped his arms around her gently as if he was afraid to spook her. Liz blinked up at him and reached up to remove the crown from his head. Klaus did the same to her and they turned to place the crowns back into their drawer. Klaus slid them back into place and the drawer locked with a loud click.

“Don’t we need to put the votums back?” Liz wondered.

“We will in a little while. Talk to me,” Klaus whispered. “You don’t have to become an archangel if you don’t want to.”

“No.” Liz gave him a small smile. “I want to. I feel like that position would suit me. I just wish Sebastian would’ve given me a heads up. I never in a million years thought he would say my name when they asked for his replacement. I just felt a little blindsided.” 

“You’ve been one of the only people that have been nice to him and stood up for him since he broke his possession. It made a whole lot of sense actually. He doesn’t know or trust a lot of people anymore. He’s only known you a few days but that’s more time than he’s known the majority of the archangels and seconds. A lot of them were born after he was possessed.” Klaus shrugged.

“Did you mean it when you said that you had faith in me?” Liz tilted her head up to look into his eyes. Klaus’ gaze softened and he stroked her cheek.

“I have all the faith in the world that you would make a good archangel.”

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright, well next week we’ll find out if I’m going to be a goddess or not. Goddess of the sun and god of the dead. We make a pretty intimidating couple if I do say so myself.”

Klaus laughed loudly and grabbed her hips. “I agree. Now let’s go to bed. I’m going to peel that dress off of you and then I’m going to make love to you while you wear nothing but that votum.”

Liz smiled as she leaned up to kiss him. “I like that idea very much. Take me to bed, archangel.” Liz winked.

“As you wish, archangel.”

“You are so ridiculous.” Liz laughed as they disappeared from the vaults.


	23. Alternate Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a birthday present for my friend Giulia that I posted over on Tumblr. She helped me write this fic and has fallen in love with these characters as well. lol. This is a storyline we've been discussing for months.
> 
> How this works in comparison to DiSaG is that Sebastian broke his possession long ago before Klaus and Elias were even born. Liz doesn’t figure out who Klaus is until the end of this one-shot. Everything else is basically the same. Also, a reminder, my timeline for my Liz is slightly different than canon. She loses her parents at age 9 and attends the academy around age 22.
> 
> This was just something fun I wrote while I was blocked on chapter 22 and I thought I would share it on AO3 as well. :D The next chapter will be posted soon.

The moonlight cast shadows across the wood floor and the trees moving outside the windows made the darkness shift and dance. Liz watched them from her spot against the wall. She didn’t know how long she had sat there in her own sick. The thick scent clung to her like a blanket and added to her discomfort.

Her parents had passed days ago and she could feel the disease that had taken them ravish her body. She knew it would only be a matter of time before death claimed her.

When she realized she was sick, she had prayed to every deity she could think of to save her. She had screamed and cried for anyone to take away her pain but either no one in the village heard her or they were smart enough not to enter the house.

That had been days ago and now she was blessed with a pleasant calm. She would not cry anymore and she would welcome death with open arms. Her breathing was shallow and she closed her eyes to rest. Perhaps she would go peacefully in her sleep.

A loud crack echoed through the room and her eyes flew open at the sound. Her vision swam but two figures slowly came into view. They were sitting in the armchair across the room from her watching her curiously. The woman perched on the arm of the chair was the most beautiful creature Liz had ever seen.

She was slim with lush curves and a full mouth. Her face was soft and perfectly proportionate. Blonde hair fell in loose waves down her back and her emerald green eyes flashed in the darkness. She was poised and elegant and she regarded Liz with concern. 

She stood to her feet and Liz watched in awe as green feathered wings spread from her back. The sound of her boots against the wood floor echoed through the still room as she walked across the room. Her movements were slow and sure like she was trying not to spook Liz. She knelt in front of her and gently grasped Liz’s chin in her palm.

“Hello, my darling. Stay still for me.” The angel spoke softly. Her voice was rich and melodic. Liz licked her dry lips and nodded feebly.

It wasn’t a hard request for Liz to fulfill she didn’t think she could move even if she wanted to. She was so exhausted. Suddenly the angel’s eyes glowed in the darkness and Liz felt a power grab a hold of her. It was a strange feeling like a weight had settled deep in the pit of her stomach. The power moved through every bit of her body slowly. She didn’t know what was happening or what the angel was doing. Was she about to die? Was that why this divine being had shown up? Or was the angel answering her desperate prayer?

“Well?” 

Liz jumped at the sound of another voice. She had forgotten that there had been another figure in the room and her eyes snapped back to the chair. A man was sitting on it and gazing at Liz apathetically. He had his elbow resting on the arm of the chair and had rested his chin on his fist as he watched. His dark blonde hair was windswept and he was dressed casually. Liz regarded the baldric full of daggers draped across his chest with curiosity. He was certainly handsome but there was something very closed off about him. 

The angel with the green feathers released Liz and she felt the unusual power leave her body. 

“She’s too far gone for me to heal, Sebastian. She’s dying. Either you save her or Amelia will be here soon to collect her soul. In the girl’s prayer, she asked for life, you need to decide whether you want to fulfill her request or not.”

Liz watched as the man in the chair stood and golden wings appeared at his back. He strode over to Liz and knelt down so he was eye level with her. He cocked his head as he observed her and frowned. Apparently what he saw concerned him.

“Do you want me to save your life?” The angel named Sebastian asked.

Liz wanted to live. She had seen so little of this world and she had so many things she wanted to accomplish. It couldn’t be over this quickly. Liz cleared her throat feebly and whispered into the darkness. “Save me.”

Sebastian nodded and reached out towards her. He placed a hand on the top of her head and Liz felt heat flood her body. It was like being scorched. She felt her herself growing stronger by the second and she was finally able to take a deep breath. Liz’s eyelids grew heavy and soon she fell into a deep, much needed, sleep.

* * *

When she woke up she was tucked into her bed under a pile of blankets. A glass of water was next to her on the nightstand and she could hear voices talking downstairs. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and downed the water as quickly as possible. She was shocked at how thirsty she was.

When there was nothing left of the water she stood to her feet and crept quietly to her bedroom door. It was cracked open and she pressed her ear to the opening so she could better hear the conversation happening downstairs.

“We can’t leave her here.” 

A deep sigh echoed through the room in response to those words. The sigh belonged to the angel that had healed her. Liz remembered his name was Sebastian.

“What would you have me do?” Sebastian asked.

“I don’t know.”

“We can’t interfere. I answer prayers, that’s it. What happens next is up to the human.” Sebastian said.

“She’s just a child.”

“Elaine, again, what would you have me do? It doesn’t matter that she’s a child we can’t intervene in her life.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we could take her with us.” Elaine said.

“That would not be a good idea and you know it. We can stay until she wakes up, we can make sure she has everything she needs, and then we have to go.” Sebastian replied. 

“Then I’ll just take her to the underworld and watch over her there.”

Sebastian laughed but there was very little humor in it. “To my brother? What would he do with her? You aren’t always in the underworld and he would not be happy with you leaving a child there. She’s one human, love. Do you know how many times the archangels get prayed to every day? It’s a lot and that’s why we don’t interfere with the human’s lives. We answer prayers but their lives are theirs to live. She will be fine she has an entire village that will help take care of her.”

“Yes, and do you know what people do when a plague like this sweeps through town? They lock the sick and their family in their home for forty days until they feel the disease has run its course. That way they can keep the disease from spreading. It’s a form of quarantine. Then if anyone has survived after forty days of being locked in a home with the dying, only then can they leave. The village locked her in her own home while a disease ravished her family and then her. She watched her parents die. Her quarantine isn’t even over. She has three weeks left. Three weeks of being left alone after her horrible experience. There is no food in the house, no wood for fires, and there are two bodies that are decaying and you want to leave her alone?” 

The silence downstairs swelled and Liz could feel the tension of their conversation all the way from upstairs. Sebastian finally let out an irritated growl and the house shook.

“Fine. Fine, she can come with us for three weeks until her quarantine is up then we’ll take her wherever she want’s to go. Whether it’s back here, or another village. Alright?”

“Thank you.” Elaine sounded smug.

It grew quiet again before Sebastian’s voice echoed up the stairs. “I know you’re listening. You might as well come downstairs.”

Liz grabbed one of the blankets off of the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders before padding down the stairs warily. She peeked around the banister and looked at them curiously. Elaine was perched on the kitchen island and Sebastian was standing next to her. His posture was tense but his eyes softened at the sight of Liz. The room they were standing in was noticeably warmer than the rest of the house and Liz wondered why.

“How much of that conversation did you hear?” Elaine tilted her head.

“So, you’re angels?” Liz ignored her question and cut to the chase. She had been told stories of angels and supernatural beings all her life but they were fairy tales. No one had seen an angel in thousands of years and no one knew what happened after death. They were myths. At least that what she thought until now.

Elaine nodded and Liz could see the concern in her eyes. She motioned to herself and then to the other angel. “We’re angels. I’m Elaine and that’s Sebastian”

“You’re taking me with you?” Liz asked.

“Only if you want to come with us. We want to make sure you’re taken care of. You can stay here if you like. It’s up to you.”

Liz thought about staying in her home alone. Her parents were gone she had no one to talk to, no one to care for her. She was alone. She needed to be around people right now not stuck in a silent house. She could feel the tears threatening to fall and she ducked her head. 

“I don’t want to stay here.” She whispered. “Where would you take me?”

“It’s up to you,” Sebastian spoke up. “You’re disease free, we could take you to another town and help you start a life there, or you can come with us for three weeks and then when your quarantine is up we can bring you back here and you can stay in this village.”

“I can’t imagine living anywhere else but here,” Liz said. 

Sebastian straightened. “Then you’ll come home with us and we’ll bring you back in three weeks.”

“Where do you live?”

“The heavens.” Elaine smiled.

Liz blinked at her for a moment and shook her head in disbelief. This was too much for her to take in at once. “So the heavens are real?”

“Well, there are two angels standing in front of you so I think that answers your question,” Sebastian stated.

Elaine nudged him in the side with her elbow and told him to be quiet. Sebastian glared at her. Golden wings appeared at his back and they ruffled in irritation. Elaine smiled and leaned against Sebastian’s shoulder. He rolled his eyes but his posture relaxed at her touch.

“Yes, the heavens are real,” Elaine said. “And so is the underworld and demons and a whole bunch of other legends. We can discuss this later if you would like but Sebastian and I need to get back to our realm. We’ll provide for all your needs for the next few weeks but if there is anything sentimental you want to bring with you then go get it now. Also, change into something warm, preferably pants and a coat.”

Liz nodded and turned to go before she caught sight of her parent’s closed bedroom door. “What about their bodies? I can’t just leave them here to rot for three weeks.” Liz whispered.

Elaine and Sebastian exchanged glances for a moment before Sebastian looked over at Liz. “I can go bury them now if you want.”

“Please.”

“Do you want to be there when he does?” Elaine asked. “We can wait until you’re ready and then do it before we leave.”

Liz swallowed. She hadn’t stepped foot in that room since her parents had passed and she honestly didn’t want to. It had been hard seeing them die she didn’t think she could see them now, especially after a week.

“No, do it while I get ready, please. I don’t want to see the bodies.” Liz answered quietly.

“Okay. Come on,” Elaine jumped off of the counter and walked over to Liz. She placed a hand gently on Liz’s head. “Let’s go get you packed and ready and Sebastian will bury them, alright? He’ll let me know when it’s alright to come back downstairs.”

Elaine led Liz to her room and helped her get ready. Liz could hear the opening and closing of doors downstairs as Sebastian moved about and she let a tear roll down her cheek as she thought about what he was doing. She already missed her family.

* * *

Later that night, Liz laid in a large comfortable bed and stared at the glittering chandelier above her in disbelief. Heaven was the most beautiful location she had ever seen. It had been dark when Sebastian and Elaine flew her into the city but despite the darkness, the realm still glittered and shone in the moonlight. Lights lined the streets and buildings glowed against the backdrop of dark clouds. Liz was curious to see what it looked like in the daytime. 

The room she had been given was light and open with gleaming marble floors and beautifully carved walls. Tall floor to ceiling windows covered the expanse of the outside wall and gave her an unhindered view of the sky and clouds outside. The moon cast shadows across the floor and the marble shimmered. 

Liz shifted around as she tried to get comfortable but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t go to sleep. Her mind wouldn’t shut off and she couldn’t stop thinking about her parents. She missed them so much. She curled her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest as she watched the moon outside. Tears began to fall onto the pillow underneath her when she suddenly noticed movement on the balcony.  Liz watched as Sebastian walked out onto a part of the balcony where there was no railing before diving off the edge of it. He flew higher and higher until he disappeared into the clouds. Liz waited a few minutes before slipping out of bed.

She didn’t want to be alone. She was sad and she wanted her mother but her mother was gone. She didn’t know what to do so she left the room and padded down the hall quietly. Elaine told Liz before bed, that if she needed anything to come wake her up. She had pointed her bedroom out to Liz and that’s where she was currently heading.

Two intricately carved double doors loomed in front of her and Liz knocked on them quietly. She fidgeted with the edge of her nightgown and waited for someone to answer. A second later Elaine peered out the door and tilted her head as she looked at Liz. She saw tears in the girl’s eyes and her gaze softened.

“Come on.” Elaine stepped out of the room and held her hand out to Liz. Liz grasped her hand and Elaine led her down another hallway. They emerged into a kitchen and Elaine waved her hand. Candles around the room lit up and Elaine walked over to a cupboard and opened it. She pulled out a container and set it in front of Liz. When she opened it the smell of chocolate engulfed Liz’s senses.

Elaine pulled out two brownies and set one on a plate for Liz before biting into the other. She walked into another area of the kitchen before returning with a bottle of milk and a pan. Liz watched as Elaine snapped her fingers and the burner on the stove in front of her lit up. She placed the pan on the burner and began to heat up the bottle of milk.

“Can’t sleep?” Elaine asked after a moment.

“I miss my family,” Liz spoke quietly. Her voice wavered and she swallowed thickly as she tried to keep her tears at bay. “I’m so tired but I can’t sleep.”

“You know you don’t have to put on a brave face for me. You can cry if you are sad.” Elaine said.

“Wouldn’t you think less of me? You’re powerful and strong and an angel. Isn’t a small human girl crying a little pathetic?” Liz wondered.

Elaine snapped her fingers and the burner extinguished. She turned to face Liz and leaned on the counter so her gaze was level with Liz’s. “Not at all. I would never judge you for feeling sad about your family. They were yours and you lost them. You have every right to be upset. I think you’re incredibly brave. Everyone hurts and everyone gets sad and everyone cries.” Elaine said softly.

“Even angels?”

“Even angels,” Elaine whispered. “Now, I’m going to warm you up some milk and then you need to go back to bed and try to sleep.”

“Will you…will you come sit with me until I fall asleep?” Liz fidgeted with her sleeves and Elaine smoothed her hair out of her face. 

“Anything you need. I’ll sit with you until you wake up if you want.”

“I would like that.”

“Alright.” Elaine relit the burner and began to heat the milk again. The silence stretched between them but it was peaceful. The kitchen was warm and the sounds of Elaine moving around the room was comforting. Liz bit into her brownie and surveyed the angel curiously. Elaine was kind and Liz decided she liked her a lot.

“If you want, you could tell me about your parents. I know you miss them but if you want to talk about them you can. You can talk to me about anything.” Elaine’s voice startled Liz out of her observation.

Liz smiled and began to tell Elaine some of the fond memories she had with her parents. She talked about the holidays and different traditions they had in their house. She told her about how her mother used to sing and her father used to dance with her. It was nice to talk about the good times she had experienced with her family. Liz felt like she was talking too much but Elaine listened to every word and offered commentary when necessary. Soon Liz couldn’t stop yawning and after a glass of milk Elaine nudged her off to bed. 

She pulled a chair up to the side of Liz’s bed and Liz asked for a story. So Elaine told her one, a story of gods and monsters and happy endings. Liz tried to listen, she was enraptured but she was also so very tired. Soon she was drifting off to the sound of Elaine’s voice. She vaguely recalled Elaine pulling the covers up around her and promising to continue the story tomorrow. Then Liz fell into the best sleep she had experienced in weeks. 

* * *

Liz growled in annoyance as she trudged through the mud and snow. Yesterday one of the farms located a few miles outside of the village had called for help. Their only cow had broken a leg and they needed help patching it up. Liz was more than happy to help them and had walked out to their farm immediately. 

While she was there a snow storm had hit. The farmer and his family insisted she stay the night so she could navigate the roads in the daytime. She was thankful for their hospitality but after walking through the snow and muck today she was irritated. She would have to pay closer attention to the weather. Winter was always brutal.

“You couldn’t have held the storm off for a few more hours, huh?” Liz grumbled as she stared up at the angry clouds rolling by. “A little warning would’ve been nice, Sebastian.”

After Elaine and Sebastian had brought her home all those years ago, they had been a constant presence in her life. They showed up about once a month, sometimes more, to check on her. They would spend holidays with her and come when she called for them, most of the time. Somehow she had ended up with two guardian angels. They were basically family even if they did drive her crazy every once in a while.

“You know,” Liz continued talking at the sky. “I’m beginning to think you do this on purpose. Last time I journeyed south it rained my entire trip there and back. Then when I traveled to a nearby village last summer it was the hottest it has ever been. Do you enjoy tormenting me?”

It might’ve been her imagination but she could’ve sworn she saw the clouds clear a little. She sighed in relief when her village came into view. It was still early in the morning and the streets were silent as she made her way to her home. When her house came into view she gaped in disbelief at the sight that waited for her. 

A tree had fallen during the storm and landed on the roof of her house. A hole now adorned the top of it and snow and leaves were falling into what appeared to be her living room. She ground her teeth together and stomped into her yard. She slammed the gate behind her before throwing open her front door. Sure enough, a tree now served as a permanent ornament in her living room. 

What caught her attention though was Sebastian sitting in the middle of all the chaos, on her couch, reading a book. 

“You know,” he drawled. “If you’re going to rant at me at least have the decency to do it to my face. I can hear you when you make comments.”

He turned the page in his book and Liz sputtered in disbelief as she motioned to her destroyed living room. He hadn’t even looked up at her. Did he notice the giant tree hanging in her home or had he just ‘poofed’ in and not even looked up? Honestly, Liz wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.

“By the way, a tree fell on your roof.” Sebastian pointed up to the limbs hanging above his head and Liz fought the urge to strangle him. Could she kill an archangel? She was about to find out.

“I can see that.” Liz hissed through her teeth. “Care to do something about it?”

Sebastian snapped his fingers and Liz watched as the tree disappeared and her house began to form back into its original state. Debree, snow, and broken items were done away with or fixed. The roof rebuilt itself and Liz practically jumped for joy when the hole disappeared. Everything seemed to be back to normal and her posture relaxed. She took her coat off and her boots before padding wearily into the house.

“While you’re at it, can you magic me up something warm to drink and something to eat?” Liz called back over her shoulder as she walked up to her bedroom to change. She could’ve sworn she heard Sebastian mumble something under his breath about “not being her butler” but she chose to ignore him.

After slipping on some warm clothes she walked back downstairs and flopped down on the couch next to her irritating angel. A mug of warm hot chocolate sat on the table along with a sandwich and cookies. She tore into the sandwich and laid her head on Sebastian’s shoulder.

“Long day?” He asked as he continued to read.

“If you heard me ranting then you know it was. Seriously, you couldn’t have held off the storm for a little longer?”

“I coordinate the weather with Joseph the archangel of nature. Excuse me, if I don’t check with you first to make sure it’s to your liking.” 

“You should,” Liz grumbled. “Where’s Elaine?”

“Helping out in the underworld. She’s going to stop by later. After I heard you griping at me I decided to come check on you. Good thing I did.” Sebastian snapped his book shut and looked down at her. “Sorry about your house.”

“Yeah yeah, you fixed it. It’s fine.” Liz raised her head and turned to face him. She crossed her legs and scrunched her eyebrows together as she tried to figure out how to spring some news on him. “So, I received an interesting letter the other day.”

“Oh?” He tilted his head and stole one of Liz’s cookies off of her plate.

“I got into Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy. I start in two weeks.”

Sebastian stopped mid bite and blinked at her for a moment. He seemed to be mulling something over. “In two weeks?”

“Yes, I was wondering if you and Elaine would accompany me on the trip there? I know it must be tedious for you but I have no one else and I’m really nervous. Scared, nervous, actually. I would really like it if at least one of you could come, please?” Liz gazed up at him.

“Of course we will. But is there any chance you could push your enrollment back a few months?” Sebastian looked guilty and Liz narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Not really. Why would I want to do that?”

Sebastian continued to look at her and he took another bite of his cookie as he thought of an answer. “No reason, just wondering.” His voice was a little too casual to be believable.

“Sebastian,” Liz warned and Sebastian growled in annoyance.

“There are some seraphim around the academy. You remember learning about seraphim right?”

“I remember all the things you and Elaine taught me about supernatural creatures and the war,” Liz replied slowly. “Why are there seraphim near the school?”

“They’ve moved south and have started hunting humans. They are being dealt with but it’s a little dangerous.” Sebastian said.

“Are other students at the school?” Liz asked.

“Yes, it’s operating normally.”

“Is it being protected?”

“The god of the underworld is dealing with the seraphim.”

“Then what’s the problem? If other students are still there and the school isn’t aware of the threat then I should be able to go. I’ll be safe in the academy and I have you and Elaine to look after me if something happens.” Liz grinned at him and poked him in the shoulder.

“You are going to be the death of me. Fine.” Sebastian conceded. “Knowing you though you’ll probably somehow get involved despite my warnings. Please, please don’t meddle. Leave it to the archangels and just focus on school.”

“Deal.” Liz crossed her heart and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

“Alright, well if you’re going to start the academy in two weeks you need to train a little.”

“Nooo,” Liz groaned and laid her head back against the couch. “We train every weekend and I just had a horrible day. Let me lie here in peace, please.”

“No. Get up and let’s work on your blocking.”

Liz growled but stood to her feet. “I’m telling Elaine you wrecked my house.”

“I repaired it, so it doesn’t matter.” Sebastian glared at her.

“She’ll still be upset.” Liz grinned. “Ruin my day, I’ll ruin yours.”

“You are an evil woman,” Sebastian grumbled as he moved the couch back. “Alright, I’m going to hit you with wind. Block it.”

“If you destroy anything in this living room, I’ll be mad.”

“Mmhmm.” Sebastian dismissed her comment and hurled a gust of wind at her. Liz readied her wand and threw up a barrier spell that blocked his onslaught. It was easy. Sebastian and Elaine had taught and trained her in magic ever since they discovered she struggled with it. They had walked her through the fundamentals and over the years she had gained power and learned control. She was ready for whatever the academy decided to throw at her.

* * *

She was  ** _not_**  ready for whatever the academy decided to throw at her. So not ready. 

Liz panted as she ran through the darkening woods. She could hear the seraphim behind her and she tried in vain to speed up. Her lungs burned but she pushed forward through the trees.

Liz had seen a few of the younger students go into the forest around the academy and she had gone after them. She knew what dangers lurked in these woods and she had quickly convinced the students that investigating the woods was a bad idea. They had left and Liz had stopped at one of the nearby fields to gather a few flowers for her dorm room before heading back. She had only stopped a few seconds but that’s when she had encountered the seraphim. 

It was her own fault and now she was running for her life through the woods. Sebastian and Elaine were going to kill her if the seraphim didn’t do it first.

She skidded around a boulder and bounded into a clearing. She wasn’t far from the barriers of the school and she hoped she could make it there before the seraphim caught up to her. She was about to enter the treeline again when two seraphim appeared in front of her. She stopped suddenly and began to back away when she remembered the other seraphim behind her. She was surrounded and there was no way for her to kill the seraphim. She needed an archangel.

Suddenly a bone shattering roar rocked the forest. Darkness spread through the clearing as a monstrous beast thundered into the area. It was enormous and was coated in gray and black fur. Its torso was bare and rippled with dense muscle. It walked on hind legs that almost looked like they belonged on a horse or a goat, except for the sharp talons that protruded from the long feet. Liz could just catch a glimpse of gleaming white fangs. Elegant horns twisted from the top of its head and from behind the creature emerged a long scaled tail. 

Liz knew what demons looked like but this one was different than what Elaine and Sebastian had described. Beautiful black wings were tucked close to its back as it lunged for the first seraphim. Two of the creatures turned their attention to the demon while the last one advanced on Liz. It flew at her and Liz waited for the impact.

Nothing happened though and she cracked an eye open. Sebastian was standing in front of her in full armor. A shield and sword were in his grasp and he beat the seraphim back with a blunt hit of his shield. The beast stumbled backward and Sebastian snarled viciously. His canines lengthened and his eyes flashed gold. He looked murderous and Liz almost sobbed in relief at the sight of him. She had never seen him this angry though and she clung to his back.

The seraphim ran at them again and Sebastian dropped his shield and grabbed the monster by its throat. He ripped it out in one smooth motion before pivoting and shoving Liz behind him again as he engaged another one. Suddenly the seraphim froze in their tracks. They struggled against an unknown force but despite their protests, they couldn’t budge. 

Elaine walked from the shadows of the trees with her hand outstretched. Her eyes glowed and she sighed in relief when she saw that Liz and Sebastian were safe. Liz knew about Elaine’s power and how she used it to invade bodies but this was the first time she had ever seen it in action. Sebastian and the demon killed the seraphim quickly while Elaine held them still. That shocked Liz. If the demon could kill them then that meant he was an archangel. Only gods could kill the seraphim. This must be the god of the underworld that Sebastian had mentioned a few weeks ago.

When the seraphim were dead Elaine pulled Liz into a bone crushing hug. “Sebastian heard you calling for us and we came as fast as we could. You’re lucky that Nikolaus got to you first.”

“What the hell were you doing in the woods?” Sebastian demanded. “I told you to stay out of the forest and within the barriers of the school.”

“Some students wondered into the woods and I convinced them to leave before they got too far. Then I encountered the seraphim. I’m sorry.” Liz ducked her head.

Elaine squeezed her again. “Well, I can’t really get upset with you for wanting to help someone.”

“You still left the school and entered into a restricted area of the woods.” Sebastian pointed out. “I’m sure the prefect will think of a suitable punishment.”

Liz snorted. “Well, none of the prefects are going to find out.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” A voice came from behind them. Liz whirled around to tell the demon to mind his own business and froze. Instead of the demon though she found Klaus standing in front of her with his arms crossed.

His eyes were solid black and the black feathered wings at his back ruffled in irritation. He had his arms crossed but Liz could see the black talons at the tips of his fingers gleam. Klaus Goldstein was the god of the underworld?

“How…he…your. You’re the god of the dead?”

“Meet Archangel Nikolaus, god of the dead, and my little brother.” Sebastian motioned to him. “Apparently you already know him though.”

Liz gaped at the two of them and now that she was looking at them side by side she could see some similarity between them. Elaine was watching the entire situation with thinly veiled amusement.

“So if he’s you brother, then Elias,”

“Also his brother.” 

Liz glanced to her right when she heard a new voice and saw Elias stroll into the clearing. He looked the same always except as he walked purple feathered wings appeared and unfurled behind him. They spread in the sunlight before he tucked them behind him.

“Hello, Liz.” He smiled at her but all Liz could do was stare at them all in disbelief. 

“So, she’s your Liz?” Klaus directed the question at Sebastian and Elaine. “The one you’ve talked about all these years?”

“That’s her.” Elaine grinned.

“She’s a pain in my side. She’s only been at the academy a few months and she’s trouble. Now, I’m not surprised, considering I know who her guardians are.” Klaus sighed.

“We’re wonderful role models,” Elaine replied innocently and Sebastian scoffed.

“Let’s get back to the academy.” Klaus motioned to Elias and then to Liz. “You are going to be doing extra assignments until your hand hurts.”

Liz glared at him and let out a disbelieving laugh. “I don’t think so. You can take your extra assignments and shove them up your feathered-”

“And with that statement, I think we’re going to go home.” Elaine interrupted her. She hugged Liz one last time and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Sebastian squeezed her shoulder as he passed by her and despite her irritation, Liz smiled at both of them. 

“We’ll see you this weekend Liz,” Sebastian called over his shoulder and then nodded to Elias and Klaus. “See you in the heavens tomorrow. Go easy on her.” He pointed at Liz.

They walked into the woods and Liz called after them. “So you’re just going to abandon me and let Klaus punish me?”

“Yes.” Sebastian’s voice echoed back to her and Liz sighed. 

“Some guardian angels you are are.”

Elias looked like he was trying not to laugh and Klaus was rubbing his temples.

“Let’s go. It seems Liz and I have a lot to talk about.”


	24. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the three month long hiatus. Things in my personal life aren't that great right now. I also don’t know why this chapter was so hard to write. lol. If you need a reminder of who all the angels are then you can find a full list during the courtroom scene in chapter 21.
> 
> A/N Jan 17th: Heyyyy so it's been five months and I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm still here, I haven't abandoned the story, and an update will hopefully be coming soon. Things suck in real life. Once that calms down a little then I should be able to sit down and write again. <3

_It’s dark. Not the darkness of the night sky, littered with stars and moonlight. No, this is bleak and unending. This is darkness that gobbles up light hungrily and relentlessly. It’s like ink, messy and thick and suffocating._

_All consuming_

_Yes, that’s the proper phrase, all consuming. It wants everything._

_The gates of the school come into view. The darkness dances around their shields as it tries to find an entrance to the academy._

_Suddenly Liz appears in front of the gates and tendrils of night and shadow rush towards her. They want to gobble her up but she has a shield of her own. The darkness hits her shield with such force that the earth rumbles. The shadows pull back for just a moment before they shatter her barrier. The darkness shoots forward._

_A flash of light pierces the sky and suddenly Sebastian is in front of her shielding her. He dispels the shadows with a wave of his hand and then one by one the archangels blink into existence in front of the gate to flank him. They stand ready in armor with weapons drawn. They are rallying against some unforeseen force and they look….afraid._

_The shadows lick and dance at the edge of the woods before slicing through the air. They rush towards the angels and then everything goes dark._

* * *

Klaus woke with a jolt and sat up as panic rushed through him. Hell fire engulfed the room and the roaring flames were evidence of his fear. He hadn’t lost control of his powers like this in a very long time. He waved his hand in irritation and the fire smothered instantly. His hands shook as he rubbed his temples, his head was pounding. He took a few shuddering breaths and his heart rate steadied back out. He glanced over at the other side of the bed and sighed in relief when he saw that Liz wasn’t there. 

He reached out and placed his palm on her pillow. It was cold to the touch. She must’ve asked Amelia to take her to school so he could sleep in. After a quick glance at the clock, he saw that it was late afternoon. How long had he slept? He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Klaus stretched his arms above his head and his wings appeared and unfurled from his back. His body felt sluggish and he realized it had been a week since he had received a good nights sleep. 

Klaus was having nightmares. Luckily the worst of his dreams happened whenever Liz wasn’t around. He didn’t want her to worry about him. She needed to focus on her own well being first. He was doing his best not to keep her awake at night but with her new advanced senses, she could tell when he was having nightmares. They were both getting very little sleep.

After a bath and a quick bite to eat, he made his way to his study. When he entered the room a fire was already blazing in the hearth and Vincent was sitting in front of his desk.

“Don’t you have duties to attend to?” Klaus asked as he sat down. He started going through the papers on his desk and glanced up at Vincent.

“We need to talk.” Vincent crossed his arms and relaxed back into the chair. “I’ve decided that you and Liz are taking two of the horsemen with you today.”

Klaus let out a humorless laugh. “You’ve decided? Shouldn’t I get to decide who I take with me whenever I venture out of the underworld? Liz and I will be fine.”

“You aren’t safe in the ocean realm and you know it. You’re going to be watching Liz’s back which means you won’t be paying attention to your own well-being. No one should question why we are there. You are going there to do Dina a favor by helping her with her banshee problem. Not to mention she’s housing an enemy of the underworld who at one point tried to kill you. You’ve pretty much got the right to do whatever you want at this point. So, you will bring a guard with you whether you want to or not. I know you can handle yourself but it would make me feel better if two of us were with you. That way we can at least keep an eye on Liz.”

Klaus watched him for a moment and sighed. “Fine. Who’s coming with me?”

“I was going to leave that up to you. I assumed Elias and I would be the best choices.” Vincent said.

Klaus shook his head slowly. “Elias can’t come. Sebastian will be there and I don’t think either of them are okay with being in a room together. You and Amelia can come.” 

Vincent paused and fidgeted in his chair. “Amelia is sick.”

“Then you and Randy can come with me this afternoon. Be ready to go in two hours. I need to go to the heavens for a council meeting and then we’ll make the journey.”

* * *

Liz fidgeted in her seat as she listened to Professor Schuyler talk. It was her first week back at school since becoming an angel and the week was nearing an end. She had attended classes every day without any major accidents. Her wings had managed to stay hidden away and she had only had one incident with her claws lengthening. Elias had noticed it immediately and had grabbed her hand and pulled it under the desk until she had enough control over herself to hide the claws away again. 

It felt good to be back in a routine even it was very different than what she was used to. Amelia, Vincent, and Klaus were now back in the underworld full time since the seraphim threat was non-existent around the academy. Elaine had walked onto campus last week and used her power to erase every trace of the three of them from the students and professors minds. Only Randolph and Schuyler were allowed to keep their memories. 

Elias had stayed on as a student for the time being. Klaus still wanted at least one of them there in case the seraphim came back and Elias had elected to stay. Liz had a feeling he was only sticking around because of Luca. The two still bickered constantly but there was something almost affectionate about it now. Liz wondered if anything had happened between them but she was afraid to ask. 

Randy remained at the academy as well. He enjoyed being on the surface. There were ample supplies and ingredients for his experiments and he liked Randolph and the other professors. He liked interacting with the students and had decided to stay on as a prefect. He also admitted to Klaus that if he was on the surface it was easier for Theodora to get access to him. Randy was quiet about his relationship with Theodora and it was driving Liz crazy. She wanted to know how their relationship came about but neither of them would say.

Liz was determined to continue to learn at the academy. She had talked to Randolph and the two of them had come up with an arrangement that worked. On the school records, Liz was marked down as living ‘off campus’ which she had laughed endlessly about. When someone thought of the phrase off campus they usually thought of the city outside of the academy, not the underworld. She went to school like normal every day and then when classes were done she would meet Klaus and he would take her home to the underworld. Liz slept there and then Klaus or Amelia would take her and the others up to the surface the next day.

The bell signaling the end of class rang through the air and Liz sighed in relief. Elias, Liz, Randy, and Luca left the main building and made their way down the path towards the dorms. They bypassed the living quarters and headed straight into the woods. They wandered for a few minutes and enjoyed the quiet of the forest. With the seraphim gone the danger of the woods had vanished a little. There were still monstrous things lurking in the trees but nothing more dangerous than the demons flanking Liz and Luca. She watched in amusement as Randy and Luca ganged up on Elias. They were teasing him about something and he was blushing a deep crimson color. Liz wasn’t really listening but she smiled at the sight.

The scent of spice, chypre, and smoke caught Liz’s attention. Her smile widened and she watched as Klaus stepped out of the trees. He held his hand out to her and she stepped up to him. Liz grabbed his hand and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him. His other hand drifted around her waist and Liz leaned into him.

“Ugh, if you two are going to make out in the woods then at least open a portal so the rest of us can go to the underworld.”

Luca’s voice drifted over to them and Liz laughed against Klaus’ lips. He pulled away and glared at Luca over Liz’s shoulder. He snapped his fingers and a portal appeared in front of the group. “Well then, there you go.” 

“Thanks.” Luca grinned. He grabbed Elias by the front of his shirt. Elias glared down at where Luca was gripping him.

“Let go of m-” He didn’t get the whole sentence out before Luca pulled him through the portal. Klaus shook his head in exasperation as he watched them.

“Randy hold back,” Klaus spoke.

Randy was about to step into the portal and he raised one of his eyebrows in question. “What is it?”

“I have to go to the ocean realm to help Dina with her banshee problem. Vincent thought it was best that you and he accompany me. He’s waiting on the coast of Gedonelune at the main port. Will you go meet him? We’ll join you in a moment. I need to speak to Liz first.”

Randy nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Klaus smoothed Liz’s hair out of her face and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “How was your day?”

“Good.” Liz smiled. “We’re learning a lot about magical creatures this week so I’ve enjoyed the lessons. How was yours?”

“Uneventful, I actually just woke up a few hours ago.”

Liz reached up and touched Klaus’ face. She stroked her thumb across his cheek and Klaus leaned into the touch. “Why haven’t you been sleeping? Do you want to talk about your dreams? I know you’ve been having nightmares.”

“Not really. They’re just dreams.” Klaus kissed the top of her head again. 

“I think we know better than anyone that sometimes dreams aren’t just dreams,” Liz whispered.

“I went and talked to the fates, they aren’t giving me visions. They’re just dreams, Liz. They’ll go away eventually. The heavens and underworld have been through a lot the past few weeks. I’m just stressed.” Klaus replied. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I do need to talk to you about something though before we go.”

“What is it?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Dina the goddess of the sea, is not my biggest fan. We might not get the warmest welcome,” Klaus smirked and Liz laughed.

“I’ve only ever interacted with her in meetings, but yes, I’ve noticed. I’m guessing you’re about to tell me why.”

“Yes. Walk with me.” Klaus took Liz’s arm and looped it through his. They began to walk and Liz leaned into his side. It was peaceful and Klaus pulled her closer.

“When I was crowned I made a council in the underworld similar to the council the archangels have. It’s made up of the horsemen, my second, and one hundred of the oldest demons in the underworld. Together, we make laws and policies for the realm, I listen to their concerns and problems and come up with solutions. I also offer up my life force once a year to the underworld. This reduces the demons need to consume human souls because they are getting access to my soul and immortality. It does nothing to me except make me a little weak afterward. Offering up my soul makes the demons happy and keeps the humans safe. It’s a win win.” Klaus said.

“About one hundred and fifty years ago I did the offering and while I was weak someone poisoned my food.” 

“What?” Liz halted for a moment out of surprise. Klaus rolled his eyes and pulled her forward. Together they kept walking.

“I’m fine, obviously. I was already weakened though and when I woke up in the middle of the night sick I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. I didn’t realize I had been poisoned. Luckily Daphne was there and she forced an antidote into my bloodstream. If she hadn’t have been with me then someone would’ve found my body the next day.”

“It took me a few days to recover and then I figured out that it was one of the demons on my council that had done it. His name was Marcius and it was discovered that he was responsible for the deaths of a few of the archangels before me. After a trial, he was banished to the underworld’s outlands. There are many cities in the underworld but my realm is expansive and consists of a lot of barren lands. He was dropped there and was basically left to die.” Klaus said.

“I appreciate you telling me all of this but what does this have to do with Dina?”

“I’m getting there, I always have a point you know,” Klaus snapped. Liz shook her head in amusement and squeezed his arm.

“Continue.”

“Marcius was helping to lead the rebel demons, he escaped using one of the many holes in the underworld, and found himself in Dina’s realm. He lied to her and told her all sorts of untrue things about me and my realm. I tried to warn her but she wouldn’t even listen to what I had to say. I don’t blame her at all, Marcius is an excellent liar. He had me fooled for years. He was given sanctuary in her realm and he acts as one of her advisors.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Liz stopped and put a hand to his chest halting their walking. “Are you telling me that this man poisoned you and he’s being harbored by another archangel? He’s going to be there when we go to the ocean realm?”

“She’s not harboring him, she thinks I’m this horrible ruler, he’s lied to her about every aspect of the underworld. Cynthia, Dina’s second in command, was weary of him and came to see me in the underworld. She listened to what happened and believed me. She’s been keeping a very close eye on Dina and Marcius. She’s been testing Dina’s food behind her back to make sure it isn’t poisoned and she keeps antidote on hand just in case. She’s trying to wait for him to do something horrible so she can gather evidence and present it to Dina so yes, he will be there. That’s why Vincent and Randy are going with us. They will act as a buffer if need be. I just wanted to warn you in advance.”

“Okay. Thank you.” Liz said.

“There is one more thing we need to talk about.”

“What?”

“The council voted on your archangel nomination today.” Klaus surveyed Liz’s reaction and she blinked up at him in surprise.

“Oh, what was decided?” Liz whispered.

“You were voted in, with stipulations.”

“What stipulations?”

“There are still a large number of hostile seraphim loose along with Ahaz and his generals. Only archangels can kill seraphim and you have no combat experience. There are only eleven archangels and we need all the numbers we can get. We can’t teach you fighting overnight, it’s going to take time. So, you will be crowned next week and you will be archangel in name only.”

“What does that mean?” Liz tilted her head.

“Archangel’s powers are different than normal angels. All angels have some form of magic but archangels are gods. The amount of power we have to absorb and maintain is infinite. It takes a lot of training to keep it at bay. When an archangel is crowned, the current archangel if they are still alive, transfers their power to their successor. Sebastian is retaining his power until all of this is over. You will have the voting rights in meetings and in court and you will make the final calls on things but he will go to battle and use his power to help with the seraphim. Which means he will continue to be bound to the sun and raise and lower it daily, along with other cosmic duties. In the meantime, he will train you on what his responsibilities are. You will start combat training with Natalia and Isidore and flying lessons with me.” Klaus said.

“So, I’ll be an archangel, I just won’t have access to all the power yet,” Liz stated.

“Yes.”

Liz’s shoulders slumped in relief. “That sounds wonderful.”

“You’re okay with this?” Klaus gazed into her eyes and Liz smiled.

“Yes, I want to be an archangel but I also kind of felt like I was being thrown to the wolves. This way I can ease into it. Although, I don’t entirely know how I feel about combat training with Isidore.” Liz grimaced.

“Well, you’ll be taught by many people but mainly Isidore and Natalia. Isidore, Natalia, Khryses, Sebastian, and Daphne are some of our best fighters. You’ll probably learn a few things from each of them.” Klaus said.

“Alright,” Liz sighed. “But if I end up strangling him it’ll be your fault.”

Klaus laughed and smiled down at her. “You would have to try very hard to get the upper hand on Isidore but I look forward to the day when you can take him to the mat. Come on, we should join Randy and Vincent.”

Klaus offered her his hand and together they disappeared. They appeared in a dark alley where Randy and Vincent were waiting on them. Liz poked her head out of the alley to survey the bustling city around her. 

The smell of salt and sea filled her nostrils and she took a deep breath. She could see docks and boats for miles. The boardwalks and shops along the water were busy and there were so many exotic things she didn’t recognize.

“Where are we?” Liz asked.

“Endelia, it’s one of Gedonelune’s main port cities,” Vincent said. “It’s probably one of the largest and there is a lot to do and see here. Sadly though, this isn’t our destination. This is just a stop.”

“Dina’s realm can only be opened by Dina or Cynthia. Cynthia is waiting on a ship off of the coast for us and she’ll open the way to the palace.” Klaus said. “Do you have the coordinates?”

He directed the question to Randy and Vincent and they both nodded. “Give me a five-minute head start. I want to make sure Marcius isn’t on that ship before you bring Liz. Cynthia knows the truth so I don’t think she would bring him, and I know you can handle yourself, but as your general allow me this.” Vincent said.

“You have three minutes,” Klaus replied. Vincent and Randy disappeared in a puff of smoke and Klaus leaned down to kiss Liz. She squeaked in surprise and wrapped her arms around his waist. Klaus laughed at her surprise and Liz pouted. He kissed her forehead and Liz leaned into him.

“I miss seeing you during the day although I am very happy that I don’t have to attend the academy anymore,” Klaus said.

Liz smiled at his words and tightened her arms around him. “I don’t miss your lectures.”

Klaus scoffed and rolled his eyes. “They weren’t that bad.”

“You are an excellent teacher, darling. You are just a little demanding.”

“A little?”

“Okay, a lot.” Liz giggled. “Will flying lessons be like your lectures? If that is the case then I will happily get Phaedon or Elaine to teach me.”

“I don’t appreciate the teasing.” Klaus leaned down to kiss the hollow of her throat and Liz’s eyes fluttered shut at the contact.

“But I rarely get to tease you.” Liz breathed out a laugh. “You always have the upper hand.” 

“Mmm,” Klaus hummed against her throat and Liz’s breath hitched. “Well, if you think I’m demanding and harsh then you probably don’t want Elaine to teach you. She’s just as bad. Phaedon, Sebastian, or Spyridon would be your best bet but I don’t intend on letting anyone else teach you. I want to fly with you and I know you wouldn’t prefer anyone else.”

“That is true,” Liz said.

“As much as I would love to stay here and kiss you, we should probably get going. Hold on.” Klaus touched her shoulder and her uniform transformed into a sweater, coat, and pants. Klaus’ grip hardened on her waist and they vanished. When they appeared again they were falling through the air.

Liz let out a yelp of surprise and threw her arms around his neck. Klaus’ wings appeared at his back and they snapped out to catch the air current. They flew up through the clouds and Liz surveyed the setting sun. She didn’t think she would ever get tired of flying.

Klaus dove down through the sky and when they broke free from the clouds again a large ship came into view. Blue sails flapped in the wind and a crew bustled around on deck. Klaus landed in the middle of the chaos and sat Liz down gently. Randy and Vincent were waiting on them along with Cynthia. 

Liz had never spoken to her or seen her up close. All she knew was that Cynthia was Dina’s wife and second in command. Cynthia was petite and was probably around the same height as Liz. Her hair was pulled back in a messy braid and even pulled back it was very long. The strands were so blonde they could almost be classified as white or silver. Her skin sparkled slightly in the sunlight like frost and her eyes were a hauntingly pale blue. She reminded Liz of ice. 

Cynthia smiled and it showed off the fine points of her teeth. Her fangs were different from demons and angels. They were thinner and Liz had only ever seen angels canines lengthen, both Cynthia’s canines and incisors were elongated. She was strikingly beautiful.

“Welcome, Nikolaus. I wasn’t aware that you were bringing two of your generals with you.”

“Vincent felt that with Marcius in your realm, Cynthia, that I was justified in bringing a little protection.”

Cynthia surveyed Randy and Vincent for a moment and shrugged. “I don’t particularly mind but Dina probably won’t be happy about it. Marcius has been spreading lies about your generals as well. This evening will be entertaining.”

Cynthia smiled and directed her attention to Liz. “Welcome to you too, Liz. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting. I apologize for any hostility I showed during meetings. It wasn’t directed at you personally, things just get heated sometimes.”

“I don’t remember you ever being hostile at all and I haven’t been the kindest to Dina so I don’t blame you.” Liz smiled shyly.

“Well, you were just defending Nikolaus so I don’t blame  _you_. We all want what is best for our loved ones and since Dina has an unfair perception of Klaus then she tends to be unkind. I hope you won’t let that skew your perception of her. She’s a wonderful ruler and she is kind. She’s just being lied to.” Cynthia frowned.

“Klaus explained the situation to me. I think we can all agree that Marcius is the one to blame.” Liz said.

“Agreed.” Cynthia smiled again. She clapped her hands together and turned to the railing of the deck. “If you all are ready then I’ll unlock the realm. Theodora, Charis, Daphne, Ari, Costas, Sebastian, Elaine, and Isidore are already there. Dina is taking care of some business. She’ll join us later.” 

Cynthia took a deep breath and threw her arms out. Liz saw wind shoot from her palms and a shockwave rocked the water. Cynthia sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the group. “The gates are open. You can teleport in now.”

With those words, she took a running leap off of the deck and dove into the water. Liz ran to the edge of the boat and watched as Cynthia disappeared from view.

“Are we swimming there?”

“No, thank goodness. We’ll teleport in.” Klaus said. “Cynthia is swimming there because that is what she prefers to do.”

A second later, Cynthia shot out of the water before diving back in. A silver iridescent tale shone where Cynthia’s legs had been. Liz’s jaw dropped in awe. 

“She’s a mermaid?!”

“She’s half mermaid and half angel,” Klaus said. “She can shift between the two forms like demons can switch between their demon and human forms. Most of Dina’s realm is made up of angels and mermaids. Shall we?”

Klaus held his hand out to Liz and she grasped it. The four of them disappeared and reappeared in a beautiful entryway. Iridescent tiles covered the floors and shone in the light. Large white marble columns lined the hallway and flanked tall floor to ceiling windows. The ceilings were vaulted and covered in turquoise, emeralds, and seashells. 

Liz glanced out the window and her jaw dropped again. They were under the ocean. A whole city sprawled out over the ocean floor. It appeared to be protected by some sort of forcefield that held the water at bay. Outside there were roads, shops, and houses just like any other city. It was the coolest thing Liz had ever seen. She couldn’t wait to explore.

Klaus waved his hand and his clothes shifted into a nice suit. He adjusted his cuffs and buttoned his jacket. Liz noticed that the votum he had worn during the trial last week was around his neck and she blushed at the sight. She reached out and touched the metal and Klaus smiled down at her.

“Would you like to change?”

“Yes, please.” 

Klaus touched Liz’s shoulder and a dress of flowing black silk appeared on her body. The dress had an off the shoulder neckline and long sleeves, the material hugged her body without being skin tight. It made her legs appear longer than they were. A belt made of silver and black diamond sat low on her hips and accented her curves. Liz felt incredibly sexy in this dress.

A solid platinum votum appeared in Klaus’ hand. He recited a spell and it expanded. Liz bowed her head slightly so he could slip it over her head. When it was around her neck it tightened so it wasn’t so loose but it was stifling. She allowed her wings to appear and the silver feathers glittered in the lamplight. Overall the look was simple and elegant. Liz liked it.

She turned and raised her eyebrows in surprise at the sight of Vincent and Randy. They were both wearing armor. It was made up of some material she couldn’t place. It almost looked like metal but when they moved it was flexible. It had a black sheen to it. The armor plates were jagged and almost gave them the appearance of having spikes that ran down their arms and spines. The look was impressive and slightly intimidating. 

Both of their eyes had shifted to their solid black colors and their claws and fangs were extended to their full lengths. Two swords were strapped down on either side of their spines and the handles poked above their shoulders.

“I thought we were going to be discreet about the fact that you two are acting as guards.” Klaus sighed.

“You’re telling me that a known enemy is here, an enemy that tried to kill you, and you don’t want to scare the living daylights out of him?” Randy asked. “Intimidation is like what you live for.”

“He’s got a point.” Vincent smiled.

“Yes, but I’m also trying my hardest not to tick Dina off. We are guests.”

“You and Liz are guests. We weren’t invited.” Randy pointed out.

“Fine,” Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just behave, unless he tries to kill me or anyone else.”

“Sure.” Randy gave him a halfhearted salute and Klaus sighed again.

“This is going to be a long night,” Klaus grumbled.

“So, what  _is_  happening tonight?” Liz asked. 

“We’ll all sit down and eat dinner and socialize until after ten. The banshees and sirens that Dina is having problems with only come out from ten p.m. until six a.m. We have a limited amount of time to deal with them. We’ll go hunt them and then come back here to sleep. Tomorrow we’re free to wander around the realm and then we’ll go out tomorrow evening to hunt again.”

Cynthia appeared behind them suddenly. She was dry and her hair fell in beautiful waves down her back. A crown made of silver and rose gold sat on top of her head and her hair was braided around the base of it. She wore a dress made of a light silver linen. It was tied around her neck with silver spun ropes that wrapped across her back and back around her waist. Seafoam green wings spread from her back and she smiled at them.

“Ready to join the others?”

“Yes.” Liz returned the smile. 

Cynthia led them to a set of double doors and opened them. She stepped into the room and Vincent stepped between her and Klas and walked into the room ahead of him. Liz heard Klaus mumble something that sounded like ‘overproctive idiot’ under his breath but he allowed Vincent to walk ahead of him. Klaus grabbed Liz’s hand and led her forward. Randy brought up the rear and closed the doors behind them.

A few archangels and seconds were scattered around the room talking to one another. Elaine and Theodora were talking animatedly about something and Sebastian was listening to their conversation. Charis and Daphne were over by one of the windows talking quietly to one another. Ari, Costas, and Isidore were standing in the middle.

Isidore was holding a small child in his arms. The little boy had his head buried in Isidore’s neck shyly while Isidore talked to Ari and Costas. His arms were tight around Isidore’s neck and the archangel was rubbing his back. The child had dark brown curly hair that reminded Liz of Natalia’s. A pair of small crimson colored wings were folded at his back. Liz had never seen a young angel before.

Movement to her left caught her attention and she noticed Elaine and Sebastian walking towards her and Klaus. Sebastian looked a little worse than he did last time Liz saw him. He had dark circles under his eyes and he appeared to have lost weight. He looked like a husk and Liz furrowed her eyebrows in concern.

“I need a word.” Sebastian addressed Klaus. He walked past them. Klaus raised his eyebrow in question for a moment before following after him.

“Is everything alright?” Liz asked Elaine quietly after Klaus and Sebastian had walked away. Elaine gave Liz a tired smile.

“It’s been a hard week,” Elaine whispered. “Some of the memories from Sebastian’s possession are coming back. It usually happens when he’s asleep but now he’s also having waking nightmares as well. That, coupled with the fact that he’s lost thousands of years of time, is beginning to take its toll. To him, the war happened like four weeks ago not thousands of years. He’s having to deal with the trauma of the war, catching up on everything he’s missed, dealing with all the memories filtering in from possession, and coming to terms with the changes in his body, like his eyesight. He’s having a hard time.”

Elaine took a deep breath. “He’s afraid to sleep, I can’t get him to eat often. Four days ago he remembered cutting off Elias’ wings.”

“Oh my god.” Liz breathed.

“It crumpled his entire existence. I didn’t even know what happened. I couldn’t get him to talk to me for over forty-eight hours. He didn’t move from where he was sitting on the floor. He just shut down. I almost entered his mind to make sure everything was alright. I’m so afraid to breach his mind like that though especially after everything Adastros did to him. I just had to wait it out.” Elaine exhaled roughly.

“Then he got up and decided to go pay his parents a visit.” Elaine flashed Liz a fanged grin. She looked satisfied. “All I’ll say is that if they come within twenty feet of Klaus or Elias, then Sebastian will not be happy. It has been a long time since I have seen Walter or Rebecca properly afraid and it was a wonderful sight. I hope they never speak to Klaus, Elias, or Sebastian ever again.”

“How are you?” Liz asked. “This can’t be easy for you either. You’ve lived the last few thousand years with someone who you thought was your husband but turned out not to be.”

Elaine gave her a sad smile. “I’m okay. Sebastian and I have a lot to talk about but we need to focus on getting him healthy first. I think the biggest issue is talking about the war. I’ve put that behind me but now I’m having to dredge up a lot of memories and trauma that I’ve put away so I can explain things to him. There is a lot about the end of the war he doesn’t know. It’s nice to have him there to work through things with, though. We’re figuring things out together. Since I’ve spent the last few millennia at odds with him about a lot of things, it’s nice to finally be on the same page and communicating in a healthy way.”

“Despite everything, he is so happy to be in control of himself again. He’s been spending a lot of time with Phaedon. He and Phaedon were friends long before the angels even went to war with the gods. It’s good to see them rekindling their friendship. Phaedon is good for him.”

“I’m glad he has people he can rely on,” Liz replied. Elaine reached out and squeezed her hand.

“So, how are you?” Elaine motioned to Liz’s wings. “Getting used to everything?”

“Slowly. I’m excited to start learning how to fly and how to be an archangel.” 

“Sebastian is excited to start training you about your new position. He likes you.” Elaine grinned.

They stood in companionable silence for a few moments and watched the people around them. Sebastian and Klaus hadn’t come back yet and Liz was worried. She wanted to know what they were talking about.

“Elaine.” Isidore’s voice drifted over to them. He approached them and the child in his arms waved shyly at Elaine.

“Hello, Lucais.” Elaine grinned at the little boy.

“Costas, Ari and I have been excused from dinner tonight. We need to talk about a strategy for this evening and you’re the only person here Lucais will go to. Can he sit with you during dinner?” Isidore asked.

“Sure.” Elaine held her arms out and Isidore passed the child over to her. “We’ll be just fine.” Isidore, Ari, and Costas left the room. Lucais hugged Elaine tightly and kissed her cheek soundly. Elaine giggled and hugged the infant.

She bounced the child in her arms and Lucais laid his head on her shoulder. “Liz, this is Isidore’s son, Lucais. That’s Liz,” she spoke to Lucais. “She’s very nice, you would like her.”

Lucais surveyed Liz for a moment and he leaned forward to gaze at her. He gave her a small smile and buried his head into the crook of Elaine’s neck. “How old are you?” Liz asked. Lucais held up an index finger and Liz smiled. 

Suddenly the doors opened and Dina strolled into the room along with two other people. She looked gorgeous in a floor length sea blue gown. The color was stark against her dark skin and brought out the color in her green eyes. Her blue wings were folded tightly behind her back and she wore a crown of gold and aquamarine.

She snapped her fingers and a long glass table appeared in the center of the room. Plates of food appeared and she motioned to the chairs. “Please be seated.”

Randy and Vincent came up to flank Elaine and Liz. A blonde man passed in front of them. He was tall and slim with piercing amber eyes. His face was perfectly symmetrical and he had a pert nose that complimented his cheekbones. He was so handsome it was almost blinding. He smirked at Elaine as he passed by them. Elaine tightened her grip on Lucais and the boy hugged her firmly. He probably felt the tension in the air because he rested his chin on her shoulder so he could stare out the window behind her.

“Always a pleasure to see you, commander.”

“Drop dead, Marcius.” Elaine smiled coldly at him. Vincent snarled his agreement and Marius turned his attention to the other demons. Randy had scooted closer to Liz and he had his arms folded across his chest.

“Generals.” He looked amused and nodded at the men flanking her.

Daphne approached the group and gave Marcius a cold look. She looked him up and down and then dismissed him like he was nothing but an insect. Marcius’ smile widened at her actions and he turned to walk towards the head of the table.

“Marcius,” Daphne called after him. He glanced over his shoulder at her and she gave him a small smile. “I have enough poison antidote on me to save every single person in this room twice. Don’t test me tonight. Nikolaus stopped me from killing you the first time but I doubt he would care now. I would love to get my hands around your throat.”

“Oh, but you would enjoy choking me too much, Daph. You’ll just have to wait and see if I behave though.” Macius winked at her and strolled off.

“I hate him so much.” Daphne murmured to herself.

“You have antidote?” Vincent asked her.

Daphne snapped her fingers and a small box appeared in her hands. She cracked the lid to reveal that it was full of vials. “I made some earlier. If something goes wrong, then I’ll be prepared.”

“Good.” Elaine smiled wearily. “I guess we should sit down and eat.”

The group turned and walked towards the table to take their seats.

* * *

Sebastian led Klaus into a room off to the side and shut the door securely behind them.

“Are you alright?” Klaus asked. He eyed the other archangel with caution.

“I think you know the answer to that without having to ask.” Sebastian snapped. He rubbed his temples and sighed. “Sorry, no I’m not. That’s not why I need to talk to you though.”

Sebastian snapped his fingers. A large leather bound book appeared in his hand and he held it out to Klaus. It had water damage and smelled faintly of mold. The leather was spotted and worn and the binding broken. Klaus recognized it instantly. It was the book that Elaine and Liz had been taking to the heavens when Adastros had taken them. It was the book that had transformed Liz into an angel.

“Where did you get this?” Klaus asked.

“Elaine and I have been hunting for Ahaz and his generals almost every night. We haven’t found him yet but we’ve come across a few of his followers. When we ransacked their camps Elaine found this in one of the tents. She told me what it was and told me the reason she had been taking it to the heavens for Phaedon to translate.” Sebastian swallowed thickly.

Klaus opened it. Notes were scrawled across the margins and between the lines. He began to read over them curiously.

“I translated it. Everything you need in order to give Elias his wings back is in there. It’s going to take a lot of power to perform that spell and you need to be sure of the words you’re saying. If it were me I would get Phaedon or Ari to do it since they are familiar with that dialect.” Sebastian said.

“Thank you,” Klaus said.

“You,” Sebastian let out a bitter laugh. “You  _really_  don’t need to thank me for this, considering my involvement. Just give him his wings back, please. It’s not my place to tell you what to do but when you are finished with that book either burn it or hide it somewhere in your vaults. There are a lot of dangerous spells in there and I don’t really trust it in the heavens.”

“I’ll think about it and I’ll send this on to Phaedon right now.” Klaus waved his hand a piece of paper and a pen appeared. He wrote a quick note to Phaedon and stuck it to the book. The book vanished a moment later and Klaus sighed. “Is that all you wanted to say?”

“Yes,” Sebastian turned and walked towards the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob and paused to glance back at Klaus. He looked like he was going to say something else but instead, he walked out the door. Klaus took a deep breath and followed him out into the main room. He made his way over to where Liz was sitting at the table and slid into the chair next to her.

Liz was unabashedly staring Marcius down. The demon had the sense to look mildly uncomfortable and he shifted in his seat. Liz’s claws slid from her fingertips and she reached over to Klaus’ plate. She waited until Dina wasn’t looking and speared a piece of Klaus’ meat with her talon. She popped the food into her mouth and smiled. She didn’t break eye contact with Marcius the entire time she chewed and swallowed the food. Klaus fought the urge to laugh.

“At ease, love.” Klaus leaned over and whispered to her. “While I appreciate the hostility on my behalf, I’m pretty sure you just gave Daphne, Vincent, Randy, and I simultaneous heart attacks. If that had been poisoned then you would be dying right now.” 

“Well, it’s a good thing it wasn’t.” Liz leaned over and pressed a kiss to the underside of Klaus’ jaw. “I have the utmost faith in Daphne though, if that was poisoned then she could save me. Also, if it had been poisoned then Marcius would’ve been exposed for the piece of filth he is. Instead, I’ve just made him very uncomfortable which is giving me so much glee.”

“Have I ever told you that you would make a wonderful demon?” Klaus chuckled. He grabbed her hand under the table and his thumb stroked her palm. “Be careful though, you don’t want to make an enemy of him.”

“He hurt someone I love. I don’t really care.” Liz grinned. She turned back to her food and relaxed slightly knowing that no one’s food seemed to be poisoned.

Everyone was talking quietly and eating and it allowed Liz to observe the angels a little. She smiled as she watched Elaine. Lucais reached out touch Elaine’s feathers and she pulled her wing away from him. Having feathers tugged on was probably not a good feeling. She tapped his nose playfully and the baby giggled at her before trying to mimic her. He grabbed her nose and Elaine laughed.

Sebastian sat down next to her and Lucais watched him curiously. Sebastian smiled at Lucais and the baby held his arms out towards him. Sebastian took him from Elaine and settled Lucais on this lap. The little angel reached up and touched the scars on Sebastian’s face. Sebastian’s smiled widened and he allowed the child to trace the paths of them. Lucais leaned forward and touched his nose to Sebastian’s as he inspected him. Sebastian laughed loudly and Lucais smiled at him.

A question popped into Liz’s mind and she leaned over to speak to Klaus. “Sebastian and Elaine have been together for thousands of years. For the most part, Adastros did his best to stay on Elaine’s good side other than his treatment of you and Elias. Do Elaine and Sebastian have children?”

Klaus stiffened at the question and his eyes widened a fraction. “No, they don’t and the possibility of that happening never occurred to me. I’m very glad that isn’t the case. Can you imagine what that would’ve done to Sebastian if he had come out of possession and discovered he had children he didn’t even know? Not to mention there is no telling how Adastros would’ve treated them. Thank goodness they don’t.”

Liz watched the couple for a moment before turning back to her food. 

* * *

The only sound in the study was the sound of the ticking clock. Luca was sprawled out on the rug in front of the fireplace. He was warm and comfortable as he sketched on the pad in front of him. Elias was on the couch reading over some papers for Klaus and Luca had been drawing him for the past twenty minutes. He didn’t think Elias had noticed yet. Luca observed him and rested his chin on his fist. If someone would’ve told him three weeks ago that he would be in Elias’ room he would have laughed. Things had gotten better between them. Luca didn’t know if it was because they were spending so much time together or because they were getting to know each other. He was happy about it though. 

Elias had always intrigued him. At first, it had just been fun to antagonize him but being around Elias was refreshing. He challenged him in ways not many people could.

“Can I ask you something?” Luca’s voice broke the silence and Elias glanced over at him.

“I guess.” Elias sat up and moved the papers he was working on to the side.

“Do you like me? Like as a person?” Luca asked. “Because you and I are at odds a lot but yet we can sit in perfect companionable silence forever. You’ve told me some very private things involving your wings and your family and you would only do that if we were friends. Right?”

“We are friends, Luca,” Elias said. “You just frustrate me a little.”

“Why?” Luca demanded.

“Because you are so talented and intelligent and everything you do is just effortless while the rest of us scramble to catch up. You are the brightest person I know and you squander it.” Elias replied.

“You and I have very different definitions of that. I don’t squander my talents I would just rather not waste my time doing things that will bore me. I don’t need to go to class. I have better things to do than being stuck inside all day.”

“Like napping in the garden or in the archive room?” Elias grinned at him.

“What about you?” Luca demanded.

“What about me?” Elias narrowed his eyes.

“You are so uptight and you never relax. Do you ever nap or just enjoy doing nothing?” Luca asked.

“I don’t have a lot of time to do that,” Elias replied flippantly.

“You’re immortal!” Luca laughed and moved to kneel in front of Elias. “You have all the time in the world. Maybe you need someone to teach you how to have fun.”

“Maybe you need someone to teach you how to be responsible.” Elias breathed.

“Or just maybe we’re meant to compliment each other.” Luca grinned.

They were so close now and Luca surveyed Elias’ eyes. Elias blushed at the intense scrutiny. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m trying to figure something out,” Luca replied. “Stop talking.”

Elias huffed in irritation. “I will not. What are you trying to figure out?”

“If we would compliment each other in other ways,” Luca shrugged.

“Like how?!” Elias demanded. His blush deepened and Luca’s grin widened.

“Hold still a minute.” Luca laughed softly. Luca leaned forward slowly, giving Elias ample time to pull away. When he didn’t, Luca pressed his lips to Elias’. Elias stiffened and Luca shuffled forward so he could wrap his arms around Elias’ waist. 

Something finally shifted in Elias and he melted into the kiss. His arms wrapped around Luca’s neck and his fingers threaded through his long hair. Luca’s arms shifted and he gripped the back of Elias’ shirt as he pressed himself against him.

Luca was suddenly aware of something sharp scratching at his scalp and he pulled away to see that Elia’s eyes had shifted and his claws had lengthened. Luca saw Elias hesitate when he realized this and before he could overthink things Luca kissed him again. Elias arched against him and opened his mouth slowly to Luca’s kisses.

“Aww, well isn’t that just adorable.”

Luca and Elias leapt apart at the sound of someone’s voice. Elias’ gaze whipped to the left and he found Phaedon leaning against the desk.

“Get out Phaedon,” Elias growled.

“Easy there, Elias. I didn’t know you would be kissing your boyfriend when I popped in here. I would offer to leave so you could continue,” Phaedon wiggled his fingers in Luca and Elias’ direction and he winked at them. “but I have a feeling you’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”

Phaedon held up a book and Elias tilted his head.

“What is that?”

“This is a spell book that will give you wings. It was recovered from the seraphim this week and translated for you. It was the one lost when Liz and Elaine were kidnapped. You ready to have your wings back?”

Luca was pretty sure that Elias had stopped breathing. “Right now? I can get my wings back right now?”

“Right now.” Phaedon smiled. “All I need to do is perform a spell.”

“Will it hurt?” Elias whispered.

“I don’t know. Probably.” Phaedon’s expression softened. 

“What will happen?” Luca asked.

“Well, Elias has two options. He can stay a demon and I can give him wings as a demon. There is a spell for that. Or I could use the same spell that was used on Liz, and transform him back into an angel.”

Elias thought it over for a moment and shook his head. “I like the underworld, I like being an archdemon. I have power here and friends here. My only issue is consuming souls but with Klaus keeping most of the demons need for souls down then I really don’t have a problem staying a demon.”

“Is that your final decision?” Phaedon asked. Elias nodded and Phaedon relaxed slightly. “Good, that choice seems to be the better option out of the two in terms of difficulty. Are you ready to get started?”

Elias nodded softly and Phaedon patted the desk. “Take off your shirt and come lay face down on the desk. That gives me a surface to work on.” 

“Can I read over the spell first? You said it was translated, right?” Elias asked.

“Correct. I need to gather up a few things so look that over while I get ready.”

Phaedon handed the book to Elias and he walked over to the desk. Phaedon began pulling supplies out of a bag he had brought with him and Luca watched him curiously. Elias sat the book on the desk and slowly began to unbutton his shirt while he read. He removed his shirt and Luca inspected the deep scars across his back. Luca’s blood boiled at the sight and he looked away. Elias didn’t deserve those scars and it made Luca mad to think of someone hurting him.

“This seems pretty straight forward. You just touch my back and recite a spell?” Elias said.

“Yes. What’s going to be the hard part is what happens after the spell works. You’re going to grow wings. That might not be entirely pleasant. I brought a whole bunch of towels and medical supplies just in case.” Phaedon said.

Elias took a deep breath and handed the book back to Phaedon. “I’m ready when you are.”

He laid down on the desk and Phaedon approached him. He placed a hand affectionately on Elias’ head. “You know I would never intentionally hurt you right? If this hurts I’m deeply sorry and I will do my best to take care of you when it’s done.”

“I trust you, Phaedon.”

Phaedon pressed a palm to Elias’ back and he began to speak in the angel’s language. The spell was melodic and beautiful and for a brief moment, Elias was distracted by the words.

Then a searing pain shot down his spine.

Elias gripped the edge of the desk and arched against Phaedon’s hand. The archangel gently pressed him down against the desk. It would have caused Elias to panic but Phaedon spoke soothingly to him and apologized over and over while Elias felt the changes start taking place.

It honestly didn’t hurt as bad as he expected it to. The pain was blinding but with his advanced healing, his body was adapting as quickly as the changes were taking place. Liz had to change biology, her whole body changed and she had had no supernatural traits to help her. Elias was currently very thankful for his immortality and healing capabilities.

He could feel Phaedon gently pressing towels to his back but he could also feel his body repairing itself. The pain was dulling into a bone-deep ache and Elias’ breathing was beginning to even back out. 

The study was quiet.

Elias took a deep breath and finally cracked his eyes open. He jumped at the sight of blue feathers on either side of him. He took a shuddering breath and a bubble of laughter emerged from between his lips. Phaedon and Luca were staring at him and Elias beamed at them.

“Wow.” Luca breathed.

“Damn right.” Phaedon choked out. Elias raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in question.

“Are you alright?”

“No.” Phaedon’s voice cracked a little. “I might be getting a tad emotional.”

“They look like your wings.” Luca pointed to Phaedon.

Elias sat up and watched as his wings extended to their full length. He felt giddy. He needed to find a large mirror so he could get a proper look at them. He would probably spend the rest of the evening just gazing at them. He almost couldn’t believe he had wings again. He vaguely registered Luca’s words and blushed slightly.

“Ahhh, there’s a reason for that.” Elias rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “It said in the book that I could manipulate their look while the spell was being performed. So I could choose the color basically. Phaedon’s was the first color that came to mind. I don’t know, all my memories associated with you are my favorite. You practically raised Klaus and I. It just seemed fitting.”

“Well, now I’m  _very_  emotional. I would hug you but your back is probably sore. So, I’ll do that later.” Phaedon took a deep breath and scrubbed his hand through his hair. Elias and Luca were grinning at him and he waved them off. “Stop giving me the soft indulgent eyes. Where does your brother keep his liquor, I’m too sober to deal with this level of love in the room.”

“Second cabinet on the right.” Elias grinned.

“Bless. Now, leave me alone for a few minutes while I get myself under control.” Phaedon walked over to the other side of the room. Elias shook his head as he watched him and Luca stepped up to him.

“Can I touch one?” Luca asked.

Elias blushed but nodded slowly. Luca reached out hesitantly and brushed his fingers down the inside of Elias’ wing. A shiver went up Elias’ spine at the contact and Luca tilted his head curiously. He removed his hand from the feathers and instead rested his forehead against Elias’

“Do you think it would be rude to kick Phaedon out so we could continue making out?” Luca whispered.

Elias threw his head back and laughed and Luca thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

* * *

Klaus collapsed into bed and he heard Liz laugh from where she sat by the window. The archangels had been out dealing with the banshees and it was probably around three in the morning. Liz had elected to stay behind at Dina’s palace. She was no good in a fight yet. She stayed to watch Lucais so Elaine could go with Sebastian and the others.

Liz was combing her hair out and getting ready for bed. Lucais was asleep in her lap and Liz was rocking him gently. The atmosphere of the room was relaxing and Klaus felt the stress of the day begin to leave him little by little. He watched Liz for a moment and she smiled at him. Klaus closed his eyes and fumbled around on the bed for the blanket.

“Tired?” Liz whispered.

“Exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for a few days.” Klaus buried his head into the pillow and sighed.

“Well, maybe when we get back to the underworld you can.” A knock echoed through the room and Klaus growled in annoyance. Liz stood to her feet gently and shook her head in amusement at the sight of Klaus face down on the bed. “Don’t get up, I’ll get it. It’s probably just Isidore.”

“I don’t think I could get up even if I wanted to,” Klaus mumbled. Liz laughed and opened the door. Isidore looked about as tired as Klaus did but he smiled at the sight of his son. Liz passed the sleeping baby to him and Isidore sighed in relief.

“Thank god he’s asleep. Thanks, Liz.” He turned on his heel and gave her a wave over his shoulder. Liz watched as Lucais shifted in Isidore’s arms and nestled against him. 

She closed the door and slipped off her robe as she walked across the room. She climbed into bed next to Klaus and curled up under the covers. “Extinguish the lamps please.” Liz yawned.

Klaus waved his hand and the lights in the room went out. He pulled Liz against him and smiled when he felt her relax in his arms.

“I love you, Klaus.”

“I love you too,” Klaus mumbled. He tightened his embrace around her and soon Liz felt herself drifting off to sleep. 

* * *

**I actually didn’t intend to end the chapter there but it would’ve been like 5,000 more words and that is just too much. Things get interesting next chapter and we get to see Elias and his wings in action. :D**

**Quick note: I had to get rid of my nice computer so I’m using my really really old one. The keyboard is dying so sometimes when I press a letter it doesn’t work. If you see any missing letters or spaces throughout the fic then I apologize. I think I caught them all. <3 **


	25. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another unexpected hiatus. Depression is hitting me hard. I’m back though and as of this moment, the update schedule has been thrown out of the window. I’m NOT abandoning this fic but, it is unfair of me to say that I’ll update in x amount of days, and then not do it. Hopefully, updates will be every two weeks but I’m not making any promises. :)
> 
> UPDATE 7/10/2018 - Hey guys, so it's been four months lol I'm so sorry. Long story short: I'm going through a divorce, I'm possibly moving states, I might be starting a new relationship, I have to worry about my kids because they are three and just don't understand what's going on. I'm also working my butt off to pay for all this. So just bear with me a little longer I promise that I'm working on chapter 24 and it should be coming soon. <3

Liz woke slowly and groggily as she tried to figure out her surroundings. She was vaguely aware of a scraping sound but she ignored it as her mind tried to wade through her muddled thoughts. The room was unfamiliar and so was the bed. For a minute she was confused before she remembered where she was. The ocean realm. Her body relaxed and she stretched like a cat as she tried to find a more comfortable position.

Liz sighed, went to curl up next to Klaus and suddenly realized he wasn’t next to her. The room was almost pitch black, the fire had burned to ashes leaving a faint glow in the hearth. She was concerned about Klaus not sleeping. If she could convince him to talk to her then maybe she could help him work through whatever was bothering him.

Movement in the corner of the large room caught her attention and she froze when the light from the fire illuminated the creature looking at her. A demon was creeping towards her slowly. At first, she thought that it was Klaus and for some reason, he had shifted during the night. Then the demon’s eyes flashed and they were a bright blue color, not the same as Klaus.’

She commanded her claws to lengthen and she was relieved when her body obeyed. She had no idea how to fight, but she wouldn’t go down without landing a few hits on the beast stalking towards her. An involuntary snarl ripped through her and her fangs lengthened.

The demon lunged at her when suddenly the door to her bedroom was flung open. A golden arrow flew into the room and hit the beast in the shoulder. It roared in pain before turning in anger to look at the figure shadowed in the light of the doorway.

Theodora was standing in full armor smirking at the demon. She moved into the room with Randy on her heels.

“Secure that door for me, darling,” Theodora spoke casually. She fired another arrow and hit the demon square in one of its eyes. The beast dropped to the floor heavily and Liz winced at the sound. Randy placed his palms flat against the door and began to mutter a string of spells.

“Up and at ‘em.” Theodora motioned to Liz.

“What’s going on?” Liz demanded as she scrambled out of the bed.

“The castle is under attack, lovely. Demons are pouring into this realm as we speak. Lucky for you, Randy and I decided to check in on you and Klaus. Good thing we did,” Theodora nudged the dead demon with the toe of her boot. “Or you might’ve been dinner.”

She clapped her hands together in order to emphasize the word and tilted her head as she looked Liz over.

“Where’s Klaus?”

“I don’t know.”

“How could you not know? Weren’t you sleeping next to him?” Theodora asked.

“I was. What about you? Any reason you and Randy are together in the middle of the night?”

A slow smile spread across Theodora’s face and she tilted her head. “Well, we-”

“Oh god, I don’t want to know,” Liz replied quickly. “I can certainly imagine.”

Theodora’s eyes flashed and her smile widened.

“I don’t know how to shift my clothing yet and I don’t think a pair of cotton pants and a tank top is appropriate battle attire.” Liz motioned to her body.

“Right.” Theodora stepped up to Liz and placed her hand on her shoulder. Her clothes shifted into a set of armor and Theodora handed her a sword. Liz blanched a little at the weapon in her hand and Theodora chuckled. “Never handled a blade?”

“No,” Liz whispered as she balanced the weapon in her hand.

“Well, when in doubt swing it at an enemy.” Theodora shrugged.

Liz narrowed her eyes at her. “Thanks for the advice. You know, I’m beginning to think that all archangels are snarky.”

“Of course, we carry the weight of the cosmos on our shoulders. We can’t be serious all the time or we would die from the stress by the age of one hundred. Sarcasm, humor, and entertainment are good for the soul.” Theodora laughed. The sound was melodic and Liz found herself smiling.

“Ready?” Randy asked as Theodora and Liz approached him.

Theodora grabbed Randy’s chin suddenly and planted the biggest kiss on his lips. He raised his eyebrows in shock and let out a surprised squeak. She released him and tapped his nose with her index finger playfully.

“Okay, now I’m ready. Let’s go.” Theodora said. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stormed out of the door.

Randy looked a little dazed and Liz patted his arm gently as she passed by him.

“We’ll get you to Klaus or Sebastian. Klaus would be the ideal person to ensure your safety but as your second, Sebastian is sworn to protect you. So, whoever we find first, is who we’ll leave you with. Then I need to track down the other archangels.” Theodora said.

The trio stepped out into an empty hallway. A few demons littered the floor and Theodora snapped her fingers. A mace appeared in her grasp and she stepped over one of the bodies.

“We cleared the hallway with Vincent on our way in. Stay with us, please.”

Vincent was waiting for them at the end of the hallway. Liz had forgotten how intimidating he was when he was in his demon form. He towered over Randy and even more so over Theodora and herself. The crimson fur covering his body looked soft and thick. Crimson and gold scales weaved through the fur in various places providing armor. His eyes were solid black and his face was lupine. He turned and stalked in front of the group. The casual air he usually carried was gone.

“How’s it looking?” Randy asked.

“There are more enemies beyond this wing.” Vincent hissed. His voice grated like two swords scraping together. A red scaled tail swished behind him in irritation as he walked. Fire and ash followed every footstep and his clawed feet clicked against the tile as he moved. He dragged his talons across the marble wall and the loud screeching sound was unsettling. This wasn’t Vincent, this was a general of the underworld.

Suddenly shadows began to gather in a corner next to them. Vincent straightened as Amelia stepped out of the portal. Her eyes had shifted to onyx and she smiled at him.

“You called?” She fell into step with him and unstrapped her scythe from her back.

“Demons have invaded Dina’s realm. We need help. Did you tell Elias?” Vincent asked her.

“I sent word to him. I’m sure he’s on his way with reinforcements. Phaedon was in the underworld.” Amelia replied. “Would you like me to scout ahead?”

“Yes.”

Amelia reached out and squeezed his giant hand quickly before disappearing back into the darkness.

They made their way down several corridors and checked the rooms as they went. Finally, Vincent froze and held his hand up, the motion stopped the group. “I hear something.”

Randy knocked on a door next to them and a few minutes later Sebastian opened it. He glared at the four of them and rubbed his hand down his face. “I had just fallen asleep, someone better be dead or dying, or the castle better be crumbling around us. If none of those things are happening then you need to leave.”

“Close,” Theodora grinned at him. “Demons are attacking the castle.”

Sebastian sighed loudly and let his head fall back. An irritated growl escaped him and he opened the door wide for them. “Get in here.” He snapped.

He turned on his heel and stalked into the dark room. He snapped his fingers and the candles around the room illuminated. “Elaine,” Sebastian spoke up.

“Hmmm?” Elaine was on the bed and was buried under the layers of blankets. She grabbed one of the pillows and put it over her head to block the light.

“We’ve got company,” Sebastian said as we walked out of the bedroom and into one of the adjoining rooms.

Elaine raised her head and blinked at everyone in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Demons have infiltrated. Three came into my room to try to kill me. Idiots, if they are going to try to take me out then they need to send more than that.” Theodora spoke up from her spot next to the door.

“There was one in Klaus and Liz’s room and Liz was alone,” Randy said.

“Why didn’t the demons come pay you a visit?” Theodora asked. She pointed to Elaine.

“Because they aren’t stupid enough to come in here. They know I would rip their hearts out with a wave of my hand or crush their bodies.” Elaine scoffed. She sat up quickly and began to braid her hair out of her face. “Where is Klaus?”

“I don’t know.” Liz shook her head.

Elaine threw the covers off of herself and waved a hand over her body. Her clothing shifted into golden armor. There were carvings of flowers and the sun over the gauntlets and breastplate. Scuffs and scratches marred the surface of the metal. Her wings vanished and two shortswords appeared strapped across her back. Her claws and fangs lengthened and she took a deep calming breath. Elaine’s eyes flashed dangerously and Liz swallowed.

“I have a hunch that we’ll find Klaus wherever Marcius is,” Elaine stated.

Suddenly a realization hit Liz and she reached out to steady herself on the wall. “Elaine what about Isidore? Isidore has his son with him and there are demons going into the bedrooms.”

Elaine swore and Theodora stiffened. “I’ll go look for his room. Isidore would die before he let anything happen to Lucais but we’ll go make sure he’s fine.”

Theodora, Randy, and Vincent walked out of the door and the room grew quiet. Elaine assessed Liz out of the corner of her eyes as she inspected her swords. The two of them walked to the doorway and Elaine fidgeted uncomfortably.

“Why wasn’t Klaus with you? Is everything alright between you two?”

Liz blinked in surprise at the question and shook her head. “We’re fine. He hasn’t been sleeping lately, he’s been having nightmares.”

Elaine furrowed her eyebrows. “About what?”

“He won’t tell me.”

“Well, he should’ve been more careful and not wandered off. Especially with a known enemy here.” Elaine hissed.

“You can’t blame him for wanting to get out of the room and clear his head,” Liz said.

“It doesn’t matter.” Elaine shrugged. “Hopefully he didn’t just drop himself into danger. If he did then he better pray that Marcius kills him or I will. As his second how am I supposed to protect him if he wanders around without telling anyone-”

Liz fought a smile as she listened to Elaine rant. Sebastian walked back into the bedroom and rolled his eyes at Liz when he heard Elaine talking furiously. Liz felt herself smile despite the situation. The smile was quickly gone as she noticed something about Sebastian.

“Aren’t you going to put on armor?” Liz asked. Sebastian was in a long-sleeved cotton shirt, a pair of pants, and boots. Liz didn’t even see a weapon strapped anywhere on him.

Sebastian smiled at her over his shoulder as he grasped the handles of the door. “No.”

He pulled the doors open and Liz gaped at his back. “Are you insane?!”

“Well, that is an entirely different debate for another time,” Sebastian answered flatly as he began to walk down the hallway.

“Elaine,” Liz protested and gestured vaguely to Sebastian.

“Oh, he’s fine.” Elaine waved her hand dismissively. She grabbed Liz by the arm and began to haul her down the hallway as they followed Sebastian. Liz was really getting tired of people doing that to her.

“How is barreling head first into battle without armor a good idea?” Liz said.

“You’ll see.” Elaine grinned. “Sebastian is really strong, Liz. He’s just now settling back into his powers. Don’t worry, he’s a big boy and he can take care of himself.”

They rounded a corner and Elaine growled as she took in the fighting in front of them. Khryses was in the middle of a pack of demons and the angel was a storm of rage. His fangs were bared, the hatchets in his hands sang as he swiped through the other creatures. A demon buried his fangs into Khryses’ shoulder and he roared as he ripped the demon from his body.

“Elaine, preserve your powers and protect Liz,” Sebastian ordered. 

Sebastian barrelled into the fray and Liz watched as liquid gold poured from his fingers. The metal flowed up his arm and over his body to form perfectly fitting armor. It poured from his palm and a sword morphed and molded into existence. The entire transformation had taken a few seconds and Liz gaped in surprise.

Elaine backed Liz up against the wall and took up a defensive stance in front of her. The demons numbers thinned as Khryses and Sebastian laid waste to them.

“Duck!” Khryses yelled.

Sebastian moved out of the way and Khryses hurled one of his hatchets at a demon advancing on Sebastian from behind. The creature was knocked back against the wall and slid to the floor. Khryses removed his blade from the demon’s chest and surveyed the bodies around him.

“Thank you for coming to my aid.” He took a deep breath and blew his hair out of his face. His long red hair had come loose of its braid and his muscles bunched as he slid his hatchets into their holsters. “Where is my husband and my son?”

“We don’t know what room Isidore is in. Theodora, Randy, and Vincent went to search for him. Where is Natalia?” Sebastian asked. He began to march down the hallway and Khryses, Liz, and Elaine followed him.

“She entered through the west wing and is no doubt carving a path in our direction. Cynthia got word to us that something was happening, and opened the realm long enough for us, Phaedon, and a few others to slip through. She and Dina resealed the realm after that. No one is getting in or out until the demons are dealt with. Natalia was frantic, I almost feel bad for the demons that get in her way. If anyone hurts our family then I can’t promise she won’t burn this castle to the ground. Which would be an interesting feat considering we’re underwater.” Khryses snorted.

“We better keep moving,” Sebastian said.

Together the four of them began to slowly inspect every hallway of Dina’s castle as they made their way to the center. Liz’s eyes drifted around continuously as she scanned her surroundings for any sign of trouble. Sebastian and Elaine were walking on either side of her with Khryses trailing behind them. Nervous energy rolled off of them in waves as they prepared for attack.

Noise could be heard ahead of them and a demon skidded into the hallway. Sebastian materialized a bow and took aim at the creature in front of them. 

“Wait!” Elaine yelled. She threw herself in the path of the bow and Sebastian immediately lowered his weapon. “He’s on our side. He’s one of Klaus’ spies. He’s been infiltrating the rebel demon hideouts.”

The demon whipped around to face them and smiled at Elaine as she fell into step with him. “What’s going on?” Elaine asked.

“I’m not sure but something big is happening. The rebel leaders discovered that Klaus was going to be down here and decided to attack. When he’s in the underworld or the heavens he’s too shielded this is an opportunity for them to get him.” The demon rasped.

“Get him how?” Elaine asked. “Are they wanting to kill him or take him?”

“I don’t have more information but if I learn anything I’ll get word to you.”

“Alright.” Elaine nodded. “Thank you. You should probably get back to the other demons so you don’t blow your cover. Please be safe.”

“I will. Don’t worry, you’re like a mother hen.” The demon smirked at her and Elaine rolled her eyes. 

“Just go.”

The demon gave them one last grin before sprinting around a corner.

“We need to pick up the pace. I have a really bad feeling about this.” Sebastian said.

They began to run and fighting could be heard ahead of them. They emerged into a large round throne room and Liz gaped at the sight in front of her. Isidore was standing behind a wall of holy fire with his son in his arms. The fire was shielding them from attack. No one was getting close to them though because Natalia was taking out anyone who came within ten feet of Isidore and her child. 

Khryses let out a sigh of relief and ran to help his wife and husband.

On the other side of the room, Dina, Cynthia, Theodora, Vincent, and Randy were fighting Marcius and several other demons. Liz let out an involuntary snarl when she noticed Klaus on the ground behind Marcius and the other demons. She began to run forward but Elaine held her back.

“You’ll get killed if you go in there! Sebastian, guard your archangel. I need to go save mine.” Elaine growled. She handed Liz off to Sebastian and stormed towards Marcius and the others. Her hands flew up in front of her and Liz felt Elaine’s power radiate through the room. The demons didn’t stop fighting and Elaine increased her hold on them.

Liz got a good look at Klaus and her stomach turned at what she saw. He had blood smattering his left temple and she could see blood on the ground in front of him. There was a spear through one of his wings and it was staked to the floor. Liz didn’t think he was conscious but if he was, there was no way he could get away without damaging his wings.

Marcius noticed Elaine and laughed as she made her way closer to them.

“You power won’t work, commander.” Marcius panted.

Elaine’s eyes widened a fraction before they hardened. She drew her swords and began to sprint towards Marcius. A blast of wind rushed from her body and it knocked the demons around Marcius off of their feet. Randy and Vincent quickly made killing blows while Theodora, Dina, and Cynthia advanced on Marcius.

Suddenly a flash of light blinded the room and when it cleared a seraphim was standing next to Marcius. His four wings hung limply from his decaying body. His skin was a green sickly color and it was cracked in places. Eyes the color of blood shone from beneath his hood. His long sharp nails scraped along the marble wall and Liz covered her ears.

Elaine froze and began to back away from the two men in front of her.

“Hello, Elaine.”

Liz turned to ask Sebastian who the seraphim was but Sebastian was striding towards the creature. Liz realized that the seraphim standing in their midst had to be Ahaz. Sebastian looked absolutely murderous and Elaine was white as a sheet. Elaine fell to her knees and grasped her head in her hands. Her whole body was shaking and she began to rock back and forth. She was going into a complete panic.

Liz followed Sebastian forward and Randy and Vincent came to stand on either side of her.

Sebastian snarled and the chains that he always bore appeared around him. They floated through the air like angry snakes and two sords appeared in his hands. Ahaz laughed and a blade materialized in his grasp. Sebastian thrust his arms forward and Liz watched as the chains surrounding him shot through the air towards Ahaz. 

Theodora knelt on the ground next to Elaine and Dina and Cynthia moved to stand in front of them. Isidore had handed Lucais off to Khryses and he was unsheathing his war hammer from his back.

More seraphim appeared around Ahaz and Marcius and Dina swore loudly. A second of silence stretched around the group before utter chaos broke out. Everywhere Liz looked there were seraphim and angels engaged in combat. The fight drawing most of the attention though was the fight between Ahaz and Sebastian. 

Sebastian was one of the most powerful angels Liz had ever seen but even he wasn’t holding his own against Ahaz. The seraphim was landing more hits than Sebastian was and Liz bounced on the balls of her feet nervously.

“Come on, Sebastian!” She yelled above the noise and she saw Klaus stir behind Ahaz and Marcius.

Sebastian threw his arms out and lightning erupted from his body. Bolts of lightning shot around the room and Liz ducked to avoid getting hit by one.

Suddenly the ground began to rumble and Elias appeared in a flash of light along with Phaedon and Luca. Liz saw him scan the chaos briefly before he barrelled into the fighting. She reached out and grabbed Luca’s arm fiercely.

“Elias has wings and what are you doing here?!”

“Probably not the thing to be focusing on right now, but yeah! Vincent sent word for Amelia and she told Phaedon and Elias to come along.” Luca grinned.

“No, I mean what are  _you_ doing here?” Liz motioned to Luca.

“I’m good at magic, I can help! I’m leagues better than you and you’re here. So, let’s use that schooling and learning that you are always telling me is soooo important.” Luca grinned and pulled his wand.

Phaedon stepped in front of them and shielded them both as a stray bolt of lightning ricocheted off of the wall. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

“Talk later.” He growled. He took up a defensive stance in front of the group as everyone’s attention turned back to the matter at hand.

Elias drew his sword as he ran towards Ahaz.

The monster was already fighting tow other angels and Elias watched as Ahaz disarmed one of them. The angel was defenseless and Elias threw his body between Ahaz and the angel on the ground. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the hallway as Elias’ sword clashed with Ahaz’s. Elias looked at the angel he had saved and his eyes went wide as he stared into Sebastian’s face.

Time appeared to slow for a moment as the two brothers sized each other up. Whatever was running through their minds wasn’t apparent but whatever it was didn’t matter at the moment. Liz saw both of their expressions sober before Elias and Sebastian turned to Ahaz.

It seemed for now that an unsteady truce was in place.

Elias and Sebastian stalked towards Ahaz. All of the seraphim and rebel demons were dead except Marcius and Ahaz. The seraphim began to back away towards Klaus and Liz’s uneasiness grew.

“Now now Sebastian, let’s not do anything rash.” Ahaz purred. “You might want to hear what I have to say first before you kill me.”

“I don’t think so.” Sebastian snarled.

“Oh, but don’t you want to save the lives of the precious little humans you love so much?”

“They aren’t in danger. Who would I need to save them from besides you?” Sebastian said.

“Why the horsemen of course.” Ahaz grinned. His teeth were cracked and yellow but they still looked like they could do serious damage.

“The horsemen aren’t a threat. They’re chained.” Theodora spoke up.

“Are they? Are they really?” Ahaz asked. “Why don’t you ask your little archangel here about the dreams he’s been having?”

Liz gasped and she saw Klaus stir again.

“It doesn’t matter,” Theodora said. “They are chained. I did the job myself, with my spellbook. They aren’t getting loose. Ever.”

“Oh, my dear child.” Ahaz laughed. “They would be chained if you had done it properly. Fortunately for me, you didn’t.”

Ahaz knelt down next to Klaus and grabbed his hair. He lifted his face and Liz growled at the sight of her love bloodied.

“I’m going to take the god of the dead here and see if I can free him from his bonds. Then I’ll unleash him on all the little humans and all you angels. Let’s see how long you all last with a horsemen on your tails.” Ahaz laughed and in an instant, he and Klaus were gone.

The room hung in a shocked silence for a moment before Vincent, Amelia, Randy, and Elias fell unconscious. Theodora rushed towards Randy while Sebastian strode over to Elaine. She was still shaking on the ground and he gently pulled her against him. Luca knelt next to Elias and pulled his head into his lap. He pressed a kiss to his forehead and tightened his arms around Elias.

Isidore was barking orders at a group of angels and was telling them to pursue Ahaz.

Liz let out an angry shriek and stormed towards Marcius. She grabbed him by the throat and hauled him off of his feet. A loud ‘thunk’ echoed through the room as Liz slammed the demon against the wall.

Marcius struggled against her hold and rasped for breath. Apparently, Liz was stronger than she realized.

“Tell me where they are taking him,” Liz ordered. “Tell me.”

Marcius gasped for breath and Liz watched as the light slowly began to leave his eyes.

“That’s enough, love,” Dina whispered as she came to stand behind Liz. “That’s enough, let him go.”

“No.” Liz was shaking. She could feel tears threatening to fall. She could sense people behind her and all the other archangels and seconds that had been in the castle strolled into the room.

“You can’t get any information out of him if he’s dead, Liz. You’ve also never killed anyone and I don’t want you to start now. That’s something you can never undo.” Dina whispered. “Let go.”

Liz felt the fight leave her shoulders and her grip loosened slightly on Marcius. Dina took him from her and Phaedon pulled Liz into his arms.

“Now.” Dina slammed Marcius back against the wall. “You are going to talk. You have lied to me, you let enemies into my home, and have threatened me, my wife, and all the angels. You will talk or I will carve your heart from your body bit by bit.”

“I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything. I don’t know-Dina, please. I don’t know anything!” Marcius yelled.

“Then you aren’t useful to me,” Dina said coldly. In one fluid motion, she snapped his neck and dropped his limp body to the ground.

“Let’s get to the heavens. Right now!” Moira ordered.

* * *

When Liz’s vision finally came back into focus, she assessed the situation around her. The council room was in utter chaos. Elaine was hunched over and emptying the contents of her stomach across the floor. Sebastian had an arm around her and looked ready to murder anyone who approached them. Moira was trying to call for order and calm. Isidore was barking orders at a pair of guards and Phaedon had his hands on Liz’s shoulders.

She couldn’t concentrate on his concerned words or focus on the fact that she wasn’t breathing. Daphne shoved him out of the way and grabbed Liz’s face in her hands. Her eyes snapped to Daphne’s and Liz saw them soften.

“Breathe for me, Liz. Come on.” Daphne’s voice was calm and collected and she pulled Liz into her arms gently. She assessed Liz’s well being to make sure that embracing her wasn’t causing more harm. When she was satisfied that Liz was fine she began to talk. “Do you feel my breathing? I need you to match it. Can you do that?”

Panic settled in and Liz began to shake. Her fingers grasped at Daphne’s armor, her claws leaving angry marks on the breast piece.

“Breathe. Now.” Daphne commanded. The order was quiet but firm and unwavering. Liz took a shuddering breath and she felt Daphne’s shoulders relax. “Good girl, keep going. I’ve got you.”

“They. Took. Him.” Liz managed to get the words out.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get him back.” Daphne replied.

Her words were fierce and Liz saw something dangerous flash in her gaze. Daphne’s confidence and anger calmed Liz further and she relaxed into the comforting embrace. Liz noticed a group of angels lowering Vincent, Elias, Amelia, and Randy gingerly to ground. The four of them were unconscious and a medic was hovering above them. Luca was watching Elias intently and Liz’s heart went out to him. He glanced over at Liz and she held her hand out to him.

Luca walked over and grasped Liz’s hand tightly in his.

“Seal the realm!” Moira barked the order. “Ahaz might follow us.”

Isidore jumped up onto the table and a staff made of gold and iron appeared in his grasp. Natalia followed him up and wrapped her hands around his. Together they slammed the staff into a notch in the table and began to recite a spell.

A beam of light shot up from the rod and pierced the clouds above. The heavens shook and everywhere angels began to land safely in the confines of the walls. A gold shimmering dome began to ripple down over the expansive sky.

“Wait!” Elaine’s voice thundered over the noise.

Everyone’s attention snapped to her and she took a deep calming breath as she stumbled to her feet. She was pale and appeared so lifeless. Her body was shaking but she held her head high. “If there is a chance for Ahaz to free Klaus then we need help.”

“What do you have in mind?” Moira snapped. “There isn’t exactly a way to stop him.”

“I have a plan. Just give Sebastian and I one hour before you seal the heavens. Just one.”

“One hour,” Moira said. “We need you back in the heavens as soon as possible. With Klaus gone you are the reigning archangel of the underworld. We need to do a power transfer.”

“Understood.” Elaine nodded. Her fingers curled around Sebastian’s bicep and the two of them disappeared in a flash of light.

Liz watched them go when she noticed Phaedon and Spyridon talking urgently off to the side. Phaedon grabbed his husband’s face and kissed him hard before striding over to the group. “Spyridon is acting as archangel in my place temporarily. I think I know another person that can help us. I’ll be back before the hour deadline is up.”

He didn’t even wait for anyone to reply before diving backward off of the nearest cloud. With a loud crack Phaedon’s wings snapped out from his back and he disappeared beneath the clouds.

Moira sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Isidore get your lieutenants in here. We need to get a defense strategy in place. Everyone take your seats.”

“Since Klaus is gone and Elaine is off gathering help, Liz, you’ll be making calls on behalf of the underworld and the sky,” Moira said.

“No, I…What?” Liz stammered.

“You can do this Liz,” Spyridon whispered as he sat down next to her. Theodora sat down on the other side of her and patted her head.

“If you need help then ask.” Theodora winked.

“Let’s get started on war strategies,” Moira said.

* * *

The trees blurred together in the darkness. The forest was silent, the only sound for miles was the too loud breathing of the human running in its midst. The man grunted in pain as he forced himself to keep moving. His injuries roared in pain as he ran. He hadn’t even seen what hit him, the impact had happened so fast.

All he knew now was that something was after him.

He stumbled into a clearing and came to a screeching halt when he noticed another figure in the moonlight. Wings spread from the figure’s back and the man almost cried in relief. An angel. He didn’t even know angel’s existed but surely the being would help him. He threw himself at the angel’s feet and clutched at the creature’s ankle.

The human at Phaedon’s feet was covered in blood. So much so that it shined in the moonlight in splotches across his skin. Phaedon stepped back apathetically as the man clawed at his boots.

“Help me.”

“No.” Phaedon scoffed. He shook his head as he smirked down at the frantic man. “You see, these woods are cursed. Only the worst of humanity can even enter this area because someone truly sinister lurks here. I won’t be the one to interfere with his hunt. He’s caught your scent by now. If I were you I would start running.”

Suddenly rustling could be heard from the nearby trees and Phaedon smiled as another person emerged from the dense forest.

“Demetre.” Phaedon bowed his head.

Red glowing eyes found Phaedon’s gaze and a bright fanged smile flashed in the darkness. Demetre walked slowly towards the other two beings. He was tall and lean with compact muscles made for stealth and agility. The moonlight glinted off of his dark black hair and pale skin. Phaedon had forgotten how strikingly beautiful Demetre was. His face was symmetrical with a sharp nose and full lips. Demetre ran a hand through his unruly hair and smirked at Phaedon as he reached for the human cowering in Phaedon’s shadow. The man whimpered as Demetre hauled him to his feet.

“You’re interfering with my hunt Phaedon. You took all the fun out of chasing this one down.” Demetre chuckled.

“I’m sorry but I actually came to ask you a favor.”

Demetre jerked the human towards him and Phaedon watched as his fangs elongated. Demetre plunged his teeth into the human’s neck and the man screamed. Phaedon winced as the human struggled in Demetre’s grasp. His movements gradually slowed until the body was still.

Demetre dropped the body to the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Blood smeared across his chin and he tilted his head at Phaedon.

“To what do I owe this visit?” Demetre asked. “I’ve stuck to my assigned hunting grounds-”

“It has nothing to do with you.” Phaedon cut him off. “You’ve kept up your end of the bargain-”

“Then why are you bothering me archangel?” Demetre asked.

Phaedon watched as Demetre smiled at him. It wasn’t a kind gestured and Phaedon was taken in by how sinister Demetre’s fangs were.

“Look,” Phaedon spoke quietly. “We have a problem.”

“No, we don’t have a problem Phaedon. You and the council have a problem. The heavens stopped being my concern when I gave up my crown and banished myself to the earth. Now, I will ask nicely. Get off of my hunting ground and go back to the golden city.”

“Demetre.” Phaedon took a deep breath. “Please listen. The god of the underworld has been taken by Ahaz. He’s threatening to unchain him and release his horsemen form on the earth. If he succeeds then it won’t just be the heaven’s problem, it’ll be the human’s problem and your problem. Your way of life will be threatened.”

“Then stop him from doing that. You all should’ve just killed Ahaz after the war.” Demetre shrugged. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find more food.”

“Demetre you will die if-”

“You think I care?!” Demetre’s voice thundered through the clearing and Phaedon winced. Crimson colored wings flared from Demetre’s back and spread behind him. They were coated in scales like a dragon’s wings and they glimmered in the moonlight. “Death doesn’t scare me archangel. If you recall, I used to be death. If the earth is going to burn then let it. I will happily let the flames consume me.”

Demetre turned to go and Phaedon closed his eyes. He hated what he was about to say but it was his last chance to get Demetre to help.

“Ravenna would’ve helped me.”

Demetre froze and whirled to face Phaedon. “What did you just say to me?” Demere’s voice was like ice and a low growl rumbled in his chest. “Don’t you dare bring her name into this.”

Phaedon watched as a votum flickered into existence around Demetre’s neck. The metal was tarnished and rusted and the gemstones were cloudy and dull. The votum disappeared as quickly as it appeared and Demetre roared at Phaedon.

“Get off my lands and go back to the heavens Phaedon or I will hunt you. I haven’t had any celestial blood since the war ended but I remember it tasting…divine.” Demetre hissed and his wings snapped in irritation.

Phaedon glared at him and spread his wings. He took to the sky and he heard Demetre chuckle.

“Run along home little bird and don’t bother me again,” Demetre called after him.

Phaedon growled as he ascended into the clouds. Demetre was their last chance at understanding the horsemen if he wouldn’t help them then the angels needed to prepare for war.

* * *

Liz rested her head on her fist as she listened to Isidore go over his defense plan for the heavens and the earth. It was brilliant, and Liz was taken aback by how concerned he was about the human population. For a moment she found herself sort of fond of Isidore.

“Hello, little one. Pay attention.” Isidore snapped his fingers at Liz and she glared at him. The fondness was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

“Little one? I’m an archangel now Isidore.” Liz said flatly.

“Doesn’t change the fact that you are thousands of years younger than all of us.” Isidore shrugged. “Now pay attention.”

“I’m paying attention you pretentious, short-tempered-” Liz grumbled to herself.

“What was that?” Isidore narrowed his eyes at her.

“Nothing.” Liz grinned. She liked bothering Isidore and she welcomed the distraction. It kept her mind off of Klaus and the fate of the world. She was surprised at how well she was handling everything. “I’m listening.”

“Leave her alone Isidore.” Sebastian’s voice drifted into the council room and he and Elaine strolled through the door. Both of them looked to be in better spirits. They were both dressed comfortably now. All traces of armor were gone and Elaine was in much better control of herself. Liz exhaled in relief she was glad to have them back. Spyridon shifted over to make room for them and Sebastian sat down next to Liz with Elaine on his other side.

“Why don’t you tell her to leave me alone?” Isidore asked.

“Well, because I like her and she’s my archangel,” Sebastian said.

Liz smiled smugly and stuck her tongue out at Isidore.

“Very professional.” Sebastian rolled his eyes and Elaine laughed.

At that moment the lieutenants marched into the room. The archangels were considered generals in the rankings of the heavens armies. The second in commands were considered lieutenants and then each archangel appointed two other lieutenants from the general angel population. The council room was full and everyone moved to make room for all the extra bodies.

Phaedon appeared suddenly in the chair next to Spyridon. He looked angry and his hair was wild and windswept. His eyebrows pulled together like he was concentrating on something and he crossed his arms over his chest. Spyridon placed a hand on the back of his neck casually and Phaedon instantly calmed at the touch.

“Any luck with your plan?” Spyridon asked.

“No. What about Elaine and Sebastian? Any luck?” Phaedon whispered.

“Sebastian and I will lay everything out for the council in a few minutes. We’re still waiting on a few people to arrive.” Elaine whispered back.

“Are you alright?” Liz leaned over and assessed Phaedon.

“No, I’m disappointed.” Phaedon sighed.

There was a commotion at the doors to the council chamber and everyone turned to see what was going on. Guards stood at attention and Liz saw their hands tighten on the hilts of their swords. A man strolled into the room and up to the table. The guards began to inch forward and the newcomer scoffed when he noticed them.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. That’s a fight you would lose. Isidore, please call off your dogs.” The man tilted his head and flashed the council a fanged smile. He pulled a flask out of his suit jacket and took a swig from it.

He held himself with a calm arrogant air. He was impeccably dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. It had crimson accents on the cuffs of the sleeves. It looked like roses and vines were running up his forearms.

Beautiful scaled wings appeared on his back, they almost appeared to be reptilian. He slammed his palm down on the table and black claws glinted in the light. When he removed his hand a pair of rings sat on the table’s surface. One was silver and the other ring was gold with an oval-shaped ruby in its center.

“Who are you?” Moira stood to her feet.

“I have a right to speak. I used to be on this council.” The angel, if that’s in fact what he was, stood to his full height and rolled his shoulders. 

“Allow me to make introductions since the younger angels probably don’t know you.” Phaedon motioned to the newcomer. “This is Demetre. Ex-general to the underworld’s fire legions, ex-horsemen of death, ex-second in command and widower to Archangel Ravenna, goddess of the underworld.”

Liz watched as Demetre’s gaze hardened at the announcement of the last title. “Yes yes, many titles, all unimportant.” Demetre waved his hand dismissively. “What is important though is that Phaedon summoned me here to help out with your little problem.”

Demetre wiggled his fingers apathetically as he gestured at nothing. He snapped his fingers and a chair appeared. “You’re on the clock. I don’t plan to stay in the heavens long so don’t waste my time.”

“And how would a washed-up second in command be able to help us?” Isidore asked.

“Why should we trust you? Where have you been the last few thousand years?” Daphne spoke up from her spot next to Charis.

“I’ve missed you too Isidore,” Demetre said flatly. “and I don’t know. I only served as second in command in the underworld for three thousand years. I’m old as dirt. I made the first kill of the war when I beheaded the god of the dead while he sat on his throne judging souls. Then my wife and I ruled the underworld for three weeks while we let his body decay on his throne. We offered sanctuary in the underworld when the fighting broke out for all the angels who were too little or too old to fight. I led the underworld’s demons in the war against the gods. Do they not teach you all history in the schools anymore?” Demetre scoffed. “As far as where I’ve been? Well, that’s none of your goddamn business. The older angels know and that’s all that matters.”

Demetre gave her a cold smile and Daphne narrowed her eyes at him. “Why don’t you all tell me why I’m here. I’m not a mind reader. Phaedon mentioned that Ahaz was giving you problems and he has one of the horsemen. Where are the rest of the horsemen?”

“Unconcious, they are in our med ward,” Phaedon said. “That’s why I asked you here. We know nothing about the horsemen. The horsemen are of the underworld and we have no knowledge or jurisdiction on the matter. We need someone who’s been a horsemen to tell us how to keep them contained.”

Demetre shrugged. “The God or Goddess of life is the one who chains them so as long as she hasn’t tampered with the binds then you don’t have a problem.”

Silence fell over the council room and all the angels shifted uncomfortably. Demetre narrowed his eyes at the group of angels. “What did you do?”

“We had a situation with some seraphim a few weeks ago and had to unchain the horsemen to win the battle,” Moira said.

“No no no no.” Demetre huffed out a laugh. “You all surely aren’t that stupid.”

“We were desperate believe me, it was justified,” Phaedon said.

“No, nothing justifies unchaining those creatures.” Demetre hissed.

All the angels began to speak at once in protest. Demetre let them yell over each other and slowly pieced the story together. Everything that had happened over the last few months was being shouted at him at full volume. After several minutes when everyone had calmed down he sighed.

“First things first, Adastros is dead and gone, correct?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said firmly.

“Good, we don’t need any gods wandering around. Has anyone gone down to damnation to make sure all of the other god’s souls are accounted for?” Demetre rubbed his temples and looked around at the council. 

“No, but I can go check after this meeting,” Elaine said.

“Okay, so after you unchained the horsemen to win the battle, you re-chained them?”

“Yes,” Theodora said. “I’m the archangel of life and I bound them with the help of Elaine and Isidore. However, when we encountered Ahaz this morning he eluded to the fact that we hadn’t done it properly. Since the chains weren’t secure he was going to try to break Nikolaus, the archangel of the underworld, from his chains and then unleash him on the earth. He wants to enslave the humans and kill all of us.”

“What spell did you use to bind the horsemen?” Demetre asked.

Theodora waved her hand and a book materialized in front of Demetre. It appeared to be ancient, the leather binding was worn and cracked and the pages were dull. The spine creaked loudly as Demetre flipped through the book. He read for a moment before growling and closing the tome.

“Yeah, this isn’t the spellbook that controls the horsemen.”

“Of course it is.” Theodora scoffed. “That was the book that was given to me when I took my oath as an archangel.”

“This. isn’t. the. right. spellbook.” Demetre said shortly as he poked the book with his index finger. His attitude was beginning to grate on Liz’s nerves. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair as she observed him. 

“I was the second in command to the underworld when the gods were still alive. I received my chains from the actual god of the dead. This isn’t the book he used. Who gave you this?”

Theodora glanced at Sebastian and realization washed over the council room.

“Adastros. He gave me the wrong book.” Theodora whispered. “Sebastian was the one to give it to me so Adastros must’ve done something with the original.”

“And now we don’t know where it is because Adastros is dead. Who’s the second in command in the underworld right now?” Demetre demanded.

“I am,” Elaine said.

Demetre looked back and forth between Sebastian and Elaine. “Well, that’s new. When did this change in the ranking occur?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll fill you in later.” Elaine said. She pointed to Liz and grinned. “She’s engaged to Nikolaus and will be queen. Any question you have about the underworld can go through us.”

“Okay, where is Adastros? Damnation I’m assuming?” Demetre asked.

“He hasn’t been judged yet. Lilith is holding him.” Liz said.

“Have her torture him a bit and then Elaine can question him about the whereabouts of the horsemen’s book. If we can get that book and perform the correct spell then Ahaz will have no chance of tampering with the horsemen’s chains. Then you can march on him and get your archangel back. Until then I would fortify the heavens and underworld’s defenses.”

“Okay, in the meantime I think you should come help me rule the underworld. Liz is going to start training with Sebastian because she was just appointed as an archangel, so I need all the help I can get. You have experience, Demetre.” Elaine said.

Demetre let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, Elaine. I forgot how cute and optimistic you are.” His face fell back into a blank apathetic mask. “No.”

“We both know that you’re going to help so why don’t you just drop the attitude and come to the underworld with me,” Elaine replied.

Demetre narrowed his eyes at her and the two of them stared each other down. A few moments passed before Demetre sighed loudly and snarled at her. 

“Fine.”

“Good,” Elaine said.

A fluttering sound was heard and Liz watched as a neatly folded piece of paper appeared in front of Sebastian. He scanned the note quickly before nodding his head at Elaine. Both of them disappeared in an instant and Liz looked around in confusion.

Suddenly Elaine appeared in the center of the table. She threw her arms out and Liz saw as one by one all the angels in the room froze. Sebastian materialized next to the door and his chains flickered into existence. He ran the metal through the door handles and pulled them tightly. The doors were sealed, no one was going in or out.

Liz tried to move her body and was relieved when her limbs obeyed her. She stood to her feet and leaned towards Elaine. “What are you doing?” 

“The plan we have to save the heavens takes a lot of explaining. We need to get through the whole plan without anyone panicking or doing anything rash. So I’m restraining all the council until we’re done talking.” Elaine said simply. She snapped her fingers and a chorus of outraged growls echoed through the room.

“Why can’t I move?” Isidore snarled at her and Elaine grinned. He and the others were trying to move but all they could do was talk and move their heads.

“You’ll see in a second.”

A flash of light blinded the room and when the brightness cleared three figures were standing next to Elaine on the table.

The man standing next to her was smiling in amusement at the angels around him. He had dark almost purple hair with the prettiest golden eyes Liz had ever seen. He was tall and lean with a small pert nose and wide smile. He leaned down to whisper something to Elaine and she laughed quietly.

The most shocking thing though were the two seraphim flanking him. They looked different than other seraphim. Their skin was smooth, no sign of decay or rot. Their wings were covered in rich, full, white feathers and their eyes were bright and reminded Liz of jade. The sunlight caught their hair and it gleamed like golden thread. They reminded Liz of the two seraphim she had sent to paradise.

Armor covered their muscular bodies and two swords dangled from their waist. The blades were curved wickedly and Liz swallowed instinctively at the sight of them.

“Elaine.” Isidore bared his teeth in warning and Elaine rolled her eyes.

“I’m tired of dealing with temperamental men today so shut your mouth or I’ll just prevent you from speaking.” Elaine snapped.

“Elaine and Sebastian, please tell us what is going on and why you’ve brought two seraphim into our midst,” Moira said. Her voice was calm but Liz could see the deadly determination burning behind her eyes.

“A few weeks ago when Liz and I were judging the seraphim that were killed during the battle with Adastros, we came across two of them that deserved paradise,” Elain said

“That’s not possible. All of the seraphim were cursed by the gods during the war. Their souls were corrupted. That’s what the gods told us at the beginning of the war when they were trying to scare us into submission.” Charis spoke up.

“And the gods never lie.” One of the seraphim said. Her voice was rich and deep and her tone was sarcastic.

“Well, there are currently two seraphim residing in paradise. So there’s your proof that what the god’s told you isn’t true.” Liz said.

All the angels began to look at each other and quiet murmuring could be heard as they discussed this development.

“We were under the impression that all the seraphim sided with the gods and all of your were cursed in order to gain power. You gave up your souls.” Charis said.

“Not all of us.” The seraphim said. “Not all of us loved the gods. We were mistreated just like all of you. The gods offered us great power. Ahaz and our other leaders thought that siding with the gods was our best option and those of us that agreed with them succumbed to the power. Ultimately all of us were forced to fight in the god’s army no matter whether we wanted to fight for them or not. When you all won the war there was so much animosity towards us, that those of us that didn’t follow Ahaz and the gods just felt it was easiest to be banished to the earth with the others. We broke off from the cursed seraphim and we live peacefully among the humans and keep to ourselves.”

“What is your name?” Moira asked.

“Livia and this is my general Iairos. My husband was one of the seraphim that the queen of the underworld sent to paradise. I didn’t know what happened to him until the God Killer and The Adripio showed up on our doorstep and told me.”

Liz saw both Sebastian and Elaine flinch at the titles used and she glanced at Phaedon in question. She wanted an explanation, she had heard the demons call Elaine that before.

“They are titles that Sebastian and Elaine earned during the war. I think God Killer is pretty self-explanatory but Adripio means to ‘seize’ or ‘clutch.’ It’s what the god’s armies called Elaine because that’s what her powers do, they seize the body. They would shout it in warning to each other any time she stepped foot on a battlefield.” Phaedon whispered.

“They told us about Adastros and everything that had happened the last few weeks and beseeched us for help. If you’re going up against Ahaz and potentially a horsemen then you need help. I’m here to offer my armies.” Livia said.

“And why would you offer your armies?” Isidore asked.

“Many reasons.” Livia shrugged. “If Ahaz succeeds with his plan then my pack will be wiped out by a horsemen. We love the humans as well and would hate to see them suffer. There are mutual benefits.”

“Is that all?” Phaedon asked.

Livia bent down and placed her hand on the council’s table. “And maybe a seat on the council’s table.”

“Absolutely not,” Dina growled. All the angels in the room began to talk at once.

“And why not?” Sebastian’s voice boomed above the talking. The angels turned to look at the door where he was standing. Sebastian had his arms crossed and he was leaning against the gold metal doors. His posture was tense and his eyes were hard.

“They are risking their lives just like we are. Why wouldn’t we give them a seat at the table? They are from the heavens, they’ve proven they are capable of choices that keep them out of damnation, they’ve lived amongst the humans peacefully. Why wouldn’t we give them the opportunity to come home and to help rule?”

“Twenty-two angels sit on the council. Have Livia appoint twenty-two seraphim and open the gates. The war is long over, let the seraphim that didn’t sympathize with the gods come home.” Liz said. “While we’re at it, the demons helped you all fight in the war and you’ve done nothing but screw them over for centuries. Klaus has a council in the underworld, I think it’s time we combine them, a council of demons, angels, and seraphim.”

Elaine grinned widely and the man that had appeared with the seraphim gave Liz an appreciative nod. Elaine waved her hands and Liz noticed as one by one the angels began to relax and move their bodies.

“Demons prey on humans,” Charis said. “That is why they are restricted.”

“I’m not saying it’s an ideal situation but the seraphim have proved they can live peacefully amongst the humans. Let the demons live on the earth if they so choose, if they can prove that they won’t feed relentlessly on human souls. All the rebel demons will stay confined to the underworld.” Liz said.

“I move that we vote on the seraphim and postpone the demon discussion for another day,” Moira spoke up. “Today has been hectic enough as it is and we still need to finalize defense plans and prepare for a potential attack.”

“All those in favor of accepting Livia’s aid and appointing seraphim to the council, raise your hand.”

Liz’s hand shot into the air along with Elaine’s. Phaedon, Charis, Theodora, Joseph, and Karina’s hands followed.

“That’s more than half of the archangels, the vote passes. Isidore will get a defense plan together for the heavens and underworld. It’s late. Everyone go get some rest. We’ll meet here after dawn tomorrow with Livia and her seraphim to go over everything.” Moira ordered.

Livia placed her hand over heart and bowed. “Thank you. I will be back with the other leaders in the morning.”

With that Livia and Iairos disappeared and Moira turned her attention to the man with Elaine. “And who are you?”

The man pointed to himself and tilted his head. “Me?” His expression was far too innocent to be believable and Moira rolled her eyes.

“Yes, you.”

“This is Sigurd.” Elaine grinned. “He’s Sebastian, Klaus, and Elias’ cousin.”

“Is that true?” Moira asked Sebastian.

“You’re asking me?” Sebastian raised his eyebrows and gave the scribe a blank look. “I didn’t even know he existed until thirty minutes ago. I’ve kind of been possessed, remember?”

“It’s true,” Elaine said. “He works for Klaus. He’s been running with the rebel demons for the past few months in an attempt to gain information for Klaus. I thought he might be of use in helping Isidore with some defense strategies since he has so much information.”

“If you are related to Sebastian, Klaus, and Elias then how come we don’t know you?” Theodora asked.

“Phaedon you want to take this one?” Sigurd asked. He hopped down from the table and walked over to Isidore. He patted the archangel’s shoulder and Isidore looked at the hand on his shoulder with disgust. “Why don’t you show me your maps big guy and I’ll point out where the demons are hiding.”

“I think you need to show some respect. Elaine if you don’t get him out of my sight then I’m going to punch him,” Isidore growled.

“Ah, now you sound like Klaus.” Sigurd grinned.

“Play nice Isidore,” Natalia said. She crossed her arms and gave him a no-nonsense look.

“Alright alright,” Isidore grumbled.

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” Moira asked. “Why weren’t you raised in the heavens?”

“Because Elaine and I didn’t feel it was safe for him,” Phaedon spoke up. “If you recall Walter, Klaus’ father, had a sister. She disappeared, right? That’s because Elaine and I hid her on the earth.”

“Why?” Liz asked.

“She fell in love with a demon,” Elaine said quietly. “She became pregnant and she told me. She knew that Walter, Rebecca, and Sebastian, at the time, would’ve been disgusted by it. She was afraid that harm would come to her and her unborn child. So she came to me for help. I went to Phaedon and together we took her to the earth and covered up every trace of her in order to protect herself and her child. I went to the underworld, got her lover and brought him to the surface. They live together in a small village and raised their child. Sigurd.”

“You’re half angel and half demon?” Moira breathed.

Sigurd’s eyes shifted to black and beautiful purple colored wings spread from his back. “Yes. My body functions very similarly to Klaus.’ I have angelic and demonic aspects and I can shift into a demon form. Phaedon would bring Klaus and Elias to play with me all the time. I grew up with them. When Klaus became ruler of the underworld he offered me a position on his council.”

“Ohh way too much information and changes in one day.” Theodora moaned. She leaned forward against the table and rubbed her temples. “Can we adjourn this meeting for real before anything else comes up? My brain needs to rest.”

“Yes, I agree. Everyone is dismissed.” Moira stood to her feet along with the rest of the angels in the room. 

Sebastian unchained the doors and walked over to were Elaine was. He held out his arms and she grinned as he lifted her off of the table. Her smile was shortlived when she noticed Liz walking towards them. 

“How are you holding up?”

“Well, my mind was preoccupied because of the meeting and I wasn’t really allowing myself to think about Klaus. The thought of going home to an empty bed and the fact that he’s with Ahaz makes me so very sad.” Liz admitted. “I-I don’t know what I’ll do if we can’t save him in time.”

“We will,” Elaine said fiercely. She placed her hand on Liz’s cheek and gave her a small smile. “Listen, we have a plan. I’m going to go start questioning Adastros right now. We have help, Demetre is going to help rule so Sebastian can start training you. We have new allies. We have hope, Liz. It’s not over yet.”

Liz saw Demetre sneak behind Elaine and she suppressed an amused smile as she watched him inch towards the edge of the cloud. Elaine reached out and grabbed him by the collar before he could fly away.

“And where do you think you are going, dear?” Elaine hissed. She gave him a smile that was all fangs and Demetre had the decency to look a little afraid.

“Why I’m going to the underworld, with you! Of course.” Demetre laughed nervously.

“Good answer,” Elaine said. She patted his cheek affectionately but Liz caught the way Demetre flinched at the impact. Elaine wasn’t trying to be gentle. “Liz you’ll fly with Sebastian and you-”

Elaine grabbed Demetre by his lapels and pulled him towards the edge of the cloud. “-you’re flying with me. Try to fly away and I will freeze you in your tracks and call you a coward until your ears bleed. Are we clear?”

Before Demetre could get a word in edgewise Elaine dove off the cloud and pulled him against her. They fell into the clouds and out of sight. Sebastian sighed and offered Liz his hand. She took it and he pulled her against him before taking off into the sky.

“I have a feeling things won’t be dull with Demetre around,” Liz said.

“The entertainment will be nice.”Sebastian smiled. His expression sobered as they flew and he tightened his hold on Liz. “We’ll get him back Liz. Now that I’m around I promise I won’t let any more harm come to either of my brothers.”

“I don’t know if that’s a promise you can keep Sebastian,” Liz whispered.

“I know but I’m going to try.” 

Liz buried her face in the crook of his neck while they flew because she didn’t want him to see her cry. The weight of the day settled on her and she just prayed that Klaus was alright.


End file.
